Coming Home
by grieverwings
Summary: Full summary inside: Seifer returns to the orphanage, and is greeted by painful memories. He decides to go back to Garden, but they'll never let him in, never accept him... right? Seifer x Quistis New Chapter!
1. The Monster

_Gosh, it's taken me forever to come up with a new story… but, here I am. Thanks to my recent aquiring of Kingdom Hearts 2, my brain turned to mush a few days ago and it's been hard to think. I've also become thoroughly obsessed with Sora/Kairi pairings, and am now tolerant of Aurrikkus, thanks to Kitsu. Anyway, my brain is back, though I wouldn't say whole, and I've had trouble with coming up with new ideas. I was generally stuck between another Squinoa fic and a fic about Seifer, and you can see I've made up my mind. So, enjoy the randomness, and hope to Square Enix I've evolved since that Fantasy West story. _

_This story alternates between first and third person, and so no one gets confused, "I" is Seifer. Sorry._

_**Seifer returns to the orphanage a few months after the sorceress incident and gives in to his memories, some long forgotten and some fresh in his mind, and ponders what turned him into something evil, only to find it was himself. Ready to repent, he returns to Garden, but what kind of reception will he receive there? Most certainly not a warm and welcoming one… right?**_

**Coming Home**

Chapter 1: The Monster

I sat and stared out at the ocean, my ever-increasing sense of self pity nagging at the corners of my brain. It had taken much persuasion to get Raijin and Fujin to come here, and now… I hated the fact that I had ever even remembered this place. While my friends nosed about inside, examining remainders of my childhood and the childhoods of those I'd ruined, I stood at the edge of the beach, watching the sun set with utmost loathing. Being there brought back so many memories… old and fairly new. Growling, I kicked sand at the unwavering tide and turned my back on the ocean… and my thoughts.

Despite my attempts, they continued to attack my brain, poking and prodding as I slowly lost my resolve. They danced in front of my eyes, horrid smiles shaking me and throwing my willpower to the ground, dashing it amongst the orange-colored beach. Finally, I let go, allowing only one of them to replay in front of me. Drifting away, I watched as a scene unraveled, chuckling at its victory.

"Hey, look! I found another one!" A young girl with blonde hair stood up, in the midst of a field, and held blue flowers in her hand. "Look, Matron, this one's purple!" The child ran to a young-looking woman and thrust the flowers into the air, as the dark-haired woman bent down and smiled.

"They're beautiful, Quistis! Shall we dry a few of them and put them in your scrapbook?"

"Yes please, Matron!" Quistis giggled, closely examining some of her new charge's petals. "We put the rest in a vase, right?" The woman chuckled and ruffled the small child's hair, standing up again and leading her away. A small distance off, a young boy lay in the grass and stared up at the clouds, eyes blank and expressionless. He watched them float lazily by and frowned, thoughts too big for a six year old parading through his mind. Ever since Sis had left… it got a bit too quiet. Not much had changed, but… some of the kids were a bit more quiet now… especially Squall. The boy glared as he heard a thud next to him, sitting up quickly and glaring down at his peer.

"Hey," a brown-haired girl giggled, "That one looks like a fluffy bunny!"

"Go away, Selphie," the boy snapped, rolling over and examining a small bug crawling amongst the grass. He heard more thuds, and was fairly annoyed to see that another boy had flopped onto the grass as well.

"I see a hat!" the boy named Irvine called, pointing and smiling widely. A few feet away, another small boy stood, blonde hair stretching for the sky as if it wanted to part from his head. The boy pointed and smiled, grin stretching almost from ear to ear.

"I see a hot dog!" he crowed. With a growl, he stood and walked straight up to the boy with the straight and pointy hair, face inches from the others.

"You're such a baby, Zell!" he snapped. "All you can ever think about is food! Go back to your cradle!" Zell, dropped his hand and tried to glare at the other, but the effect was ruined by the tears threatening to flood down his face.

"B-be quiet, Seifer!"

"Cry-baby Zell! Cry-baby Zell!" Seifer chanted. He heard small footsteps from behind him, and whirled around to see Quistis, flowers falling from her hand as she stared at him. "What do you want, Miss Bossy?"

"Leave Zell alone, he didn't do anything!" she growled, now the only flower left in her hand was the purple one… the one so very rare.

"That's Quistis, always telling us what to do!" Seifer, caught in his childish rage, snatched the bloom from her hand and threw it to the ground, stepping on it with more force than a young boy should have. Quistis merely stared, seeing her rare treasure in small bits underneath Seifer's foot. With anger, Seifer stomped away to find Squall, ready to goad him into a fight. He knew he would regret it later… but that was how he was. Act first, think later. Still, the incident didn't reveal itself to him until later, when he was in bed before everyone else, and he remembered the hurt face Quistis had given him… she made that face a lot…

I banished the memory, angry at myself for choosing that particular scene to relive. I had been given happy times here as well… but… as I continued to ponder, the bad seemed to overshadow the good. From what I could tell, I had given nothing but grief to Matron, and my peers… nothing but anguish, grief, and fury. And when I went to Balamb, nothing changed. I still treated Squall with utter dislike, even though my memories of childhood faded away. I still treated Quistis like dirt, even as she rose high above me, became my teacher.

Shouts brought my attention back to earth as I heard Raijin come careening down the steps, followed closely by Fujin. They seemed to be arguing about something as Raijin held something clutched in his fist. I swept the annoying strand of hair that kept falling in my face away and glared, something I've accomplished over years. Almost instantly, they stopped, Raijin now guiltily holding the mysterious item behind his back. I frowned and held out my hand, giving him another glare.

"We just found it…" Raijin said, handing me what appeared to be a book. "I wanted to show it to you, but Fujin said…"

"LIAR." Fujin attacked Raijin's leg, leaving him to howl and wince in pain. I examined the book, used to their now unentertaining antics. I was surprised to see that it had a name, carved in childish handwriting onto the leather binding with crayon. My heart leapt into my throat as I made out the letters to be "Quistis". "WHAT?" Fujin asked, watching Raijin leap around and clutch his leg. I shook my head, raising my eyes to look at them.

"Could you guys… leave me alone for a minute?" Raijin cocked his head and raised an eyebrow as Fujin unquestioningly turned and walked away.

"Hey… Hey, Fujin, wait up, ya know?" As soon as their shouts were out of hearing range, I turned back to the ocean and opened the book, now recognizing it as…

"The scrapbook…" I whispered. I let my fingers graze a photo in remembrance and closed my eyes, the photo seizing my senses and allowing me to drift away.

Ellone sat in the middle of the field, quietly playing with something in her hands. With a smile, a boy, probably around five, came and sat down beside her. "What're you making, Sis?" The older girl smiled, and with one fluid motion, took what was in her hand and fastened it around her head.

"Do you remember what this is?" she asked him. The boy giggled and prodded the garland with joy.

"It's a flower hat!" Ellone smiled again and pulled the headband off, placing it instead upon her young charge's head.

"That's right, Squall. A hat made of white flowers. Do you remember?" The boy gave her a funny look as he pulled the garland off and placed it back on Ellone's head, giggling. "No, I suppose you don't. You were too little, anyway."

"Sis! What's that?" Two young girls came toddling up, examining the flowers with special care. "It's so pretty!" Quistis said, giggling. Ellone smiled and sighed, plucking more of the white blossoms and threading them into more headbands. Soon, almost everyone was at her side, wearing the beautiful garlands and smiling. Matron emerged from the stone house, holding a camera. She'd been watching from the window.

"Oh, how adorable! Everyone get closer in together!" She stationed the children carefully around Ellone, who smiled reluctantly. "How sweet, a photo of everyone!" As the shutter flashed, someone else stood and watched from the window. Not everyone was in the picture, as Seifer stared at the happy bunch. They didn't even notice that he wasn't there.

Sure enough, there was a dried white flower pressed between two pages. I smiled sadly, inhaling its scent. After all these years, it still lingered… a smell of peace, of happiness. I sighed. Ellone left two days later and never came back. And then, almost two months ago, we had a sort of… reunion. If you could even call it that. I kidnapped her… used Raijin and Fujin to help me keep her prisoner. I used them all, only to be used by that witch, Ultimecia. That wasn't really my dream… I kept telling myself it was… but it never came close. My childhood dream was much different…

Flipping through the pages, my heart lurched as I examined another fragrant bit pressed between the pages. Folded inside the sheet holding the pictures in place was a bunch of petals, purple from the looks of them. They were crushed… probably the ones I had destroyed a lifetime ago. I closed the book again, guilt tugging at my heart harder than it had bothered to for a long time. All of the people whose lives I destroyed, ripped apart, and cast aside, were the people who faced me at the end. Before I fled, knowing that her… our… end was near.

It was all my fault… everything, everything that had happened was started by my mistake. My idiotic mistake to join Ultimecia, and turn my back on those I had once considered equals, if not friends. With Raijin and Fujin behind, and Ultimecia ahead, I'd felt as though I was on top of the world. And, with all idiotic feelings, mine were dashed against the rocks the first time Squall defeated me. I don't even know why I kept trying… I knew I had better give up that last time, but… I didn't…

"Seifer, why?" Ellone asked, Raijin roughly pushing her as Seifer walked ahead, stiff as a board. "Don't you remember me?"

"I do. When Ultimecia wanted you captured, I volunteered. All because of our… illuminating past. Even if Squall and his cronies do end up coming to gallantly rescue you, we'll be ready. Right now, my Sorceress is busy with the resurrection of her dear, old friend Adel."

"… They are coming to get me. You know it, and Squall will fight you again… and win." Ellone's defiant face made Seifer laugh cruelly, as they reached a small hallway. With a single snap, a large robot to the right shot to attention, lights flashing and blinking monotonously.

"Keep an eye out for anyone that doesn't look like me, Raijin, or Fujin." With another few steps, he reached a room. It was undeniably plain, while a small ledge protruded from the wall. Seifer hauled himself up, sitting on the edge and wedging his gunblade into the metal ground. He inclined his head to Raijin and Fujin, pointing out the door. "Go check for intruders. Report back as soon as possible, and lock the door behind you."

"You think I'm going to escape? Where would I go?"

"Very good point, dear Sis. Waiting for your special boyfriend to come and rescue you?" She smiled slightly and shook her head.

"He's most certainly not my boyfriend, he's my brother." Seifer started slightly, glaring at the petite figure that had once been a small girl, intent upon making every child at that place feeling special. Funny that he'd fawned upon her as a child, but… now he held her hostage in a large room, offering her up to almost certain death. Odd, that a person could change that much in over ten years. "The fact that I'm older than him doesn't really help much either."

"Never stopped Quistis…" he muttered. Ellone brightened considerably, fondly remembering her old playmates.

"I just saw her a while ago… wasn't the happiest of reunions. She seemed rather depressed." Seifer rolled his eyes and turned away, a fiery rage beginning to twinge in a corner of his heart. "I can only assume that she remembered…" Seifer raised an eyebrow, now becoming more intent upon his conversation.

"What do you mean, remembered? Did you always know about the GF effect on memory?" Ellone nodded, pushing a clump of hair from her eyes.

"Yeah… Cid explained it to me when I arrived at Garden a while ago. It was kind of hard to realize I wasn't remembered by most of you… that most of your childhoods were gone. But, I was wrong. Squall still remembered." She smiled sadly, sitting on the ground and picking at the metal. "I always thought that leaving was a bad idea, and now… look what I started. He's a stoic, relentless, depressed teenager bent on saving the world." She giggled a little, before looking at Seifer again. "Did you… forget me, too?" Seifer looked almost guilty, turning away.

"Yeah, I did." He frowned, pondering as to why he was speaking to Ultimecia's prisoner like this… like they were old friends… they were old friends, weren't they? He attempted to squash the last bit of feeling left within. "Ultimecia, whether or not Squall shows up, is going to use you to start time compression. I'm sure that you know what that is." She nodded. "Good, well, afterwards, you're quite basically dead so that no one can go back and change the past. So, if you have any regrets, I'm sure the wall over there will be happy to listen." He turned his back on her, finishing the speech that he used to relay to all the prisoners doomed to die, when he worked in D-District Prison. They would sit quietly, begin sobbing, or start talking to the wall, their last resorts. And he would leave, not wanting or caring enough to listen.

Ellone didn't seem content to sit quietly, as she began humming quietly to herself… a happy song, though a bit slow, so she obviously wasn't crying. She wasn't talking to the wall, and thus, Seifer was left with his thoughts. Nothing seemed right anymore. Pounding footsteps echoed from the hallway beyond; Seifer stood on the slope, Ellone standing as if to greet someone. Flinging the door open, Raijin and Fujin burst in, Raijin dragging one of his legs slightly.

"Seifer! They're coming!" Seifer cursed to himself, glaring indifferently at Raijin's leg. He sorted jumbled thoughts before standing up straight again and motioning for them to come closer.

"Mobile Type 8 will hold them off for a while. If they survive that, they'll have to deal with us." Fujin looked at Raijin with a small frown as they moved forward, grabbing Ellone's arms so that she wouldn't run. But… Seifer knew she wouldn't. He could tell what she was thinking… she and Rinoa had always played favorites, and both with the same person. Rinoa was now in love with Squall, prodding Seifer into a steady hatred for them both. Ellone had always hung around Squall, talking to him and playing with him. Still, even today, they played favorites… Rinoa would more than likely be in the front line with Squall, ready to fight, and Ellone would be so happy to see her savior.

"You won't win. Nothing will prevent that. Destiny commands this battle." Seifer stared at Ellone angrily before pulling his gunblade out of the wedge he had encased it in. With an evil smirk, he shouldered it and laughed aloud… not the kind of laugh meant for something funny.

'I don't feel like cooperating with destiny… I plan to win this fight." He smirked again and folded his arms. If destiny commanded that he lose to Squall, lose to his rival, lose to the person who picked up everything Seifer had dropped and made it work… well, then, destiny would finally have to meet its match.

I growled inwardly, throwing myself onto the sand and placing the book in my lap, parallel to the crashing waves. With a single sigh, I pulled off my gloves and let one of my hands drift in the small streams of water creeping stealthily towards my body, until my fingers were left with nothing but sand in my grasp. All of my memories did nothing but shame me... "Never again," I said, throwing my discarded gloves into the ocean. I could blame my memories as much as I wanted. I was the problem. I was the scourge of the earth, and… well... I was everyone's worst nightmare. "I was the monster…" I muttered, gently examining the aged scrapbook with my fingers.

"What's that supposed to mean, ya know?" I turned to see my friends standing behind me, and I smiled. They looked almost frightened, not having seen me smile in… well, quite a bit. With less grace than I would have normally executed for the sake of showing off, I hauled myself to my feet, dragging the book with me.

"SEIFER," Fujin said, looking concerned. "YOUR GLOVES…" They were drifting away, carried by the tide of the sea. I shrugged, examining my pale hands with a carefree air.

"Leave them. I can always buy new ones." I grinned mischievously, much like the way I once grinned… felt like a lifetime ago. "Now, what should we do with this?" I asked, holding up the scrapbook with my hand. Fujin shrugged as Raijin rubbed the back of his neck.

"Uh… we could… return it?" Starting at the idea, I looked at him with the traces of a scowl on my face. What would make him think of that…? "Oh, bad idea, I get it, it's okay, ya know! It was a stupid idea; of course, we can't go back there, ya know, it'd be dumb!"

"IDIOT!" Fujin said, kicking Raijin in the shin. He howled with pain as I chuckled inwardly, used to seeing them act this way. Closing my eyes and thinking, I smirked.

"Why, Raijin… that's actually a good idea."

"I know, I know, it sucks- huh?"

"We'll take it back… it'll give me a chance to apologize." Fujin and Raijin stared at me, mouths gaping. I raised an eyebrow, folding my arms. "What?"

"You're not planning on… going back, are you? They'll never believe it! You'll be killed, ya know?" Raijin shouted. "Quistis won't even want to remember you, let alone look at you! No one will forgive you, ya know?"

"Well, I'm not going back for forgiveness. I don't care if she doesn't forgive me! I just want to return this." I began to walk towards the stone house, the two following me. "What made you think I wanted to apologize to her anyway? I was talking about Kramer!"

"Wha-… which Kramer?" Raijin asked, clapping a hand to his forehead.

"MATRON?" Fujin asked. I nodded, sweeping the strand of hair out of my face.

"I screwed up… I should at least apologize to her. If I'm lucky, she can return the scrapbook for me." Entering the old orphanage, I picked my gunblade up off the table and turned to walk out the door. "Coming or not?" I knew they'd follow. With the sun sinking slowly past the ocean, I reached the place where we'd tied off our chocobos. Slipping the book into my pack, I hoisted myself onto the beast and nudged it to get going. With the rhythmic beat of six chocobo feet beneath us, the orphanage got farther and farther away. I swore, then and there, with the stars and the moon as my witnesses, that I would change. I couldn't- wouldn't- be the monster anymore.

**WOW, eight whole pages! On Word, anyway. I'm so proud of myself! That's like… two more than my longest chapter ever! I hope that Seifer wasn't too sappy… or something. I've always thought that his thoughts are a bit more deep than some people think, and he takes on a bit of a… depressed tone in this one. Oh, and, imagine the children speaking in childish tones. I can't type for little kids… it's harder than you'd think.**

**Mmkay, I'm hoping that this gets a few reviews from some of my old favorites, and some new ones, and for those of you who're reading this right now and are interested, I'm already working on the second chapter. The next one will be in third person, because… well, it's easier for me. I liked the thought of messing with Seifer's thoughts, and now I'm content.**

**I love Raijin so much, he's so frigging funny! Next chapter I'm introducing an OC, but I guess he's sort of in the game… whatever.**

**Farewell to my readers,**

**Grieverwings**


	2. Fisherman's Horizon

_Well, I just finished typing the first chapter, and I'm already started on this one. I wrote most of the first part in Geography and English… I'm so bad. I love this freaking story now… and I'm not even done with the second chapter. That's what I call an obsession._

_I hope you guys like this one. LONG LIVE SEIFER! And LONG LIVE ANNOYING FAN FICS ABOUT HIM! _

**Coming Home**

Chapter 2: Fisherman's Horizon

Seifer paced back and forth, up and down, while his friends spoke with the innkeeper. They had been chasing Garden all around the world for weeks, and it most certainly showed. The retired knight was ragged, cloak so dirty it looked a dingy grey. Shadows circled his eyes, bloodshot and weary. Every day, they arrived at a new destination, and every day, they left only to realize that they were a step behind.

"You're positive they're in Winhill?" Raijin asked the innkeeper. The man sighed.

"Yes, I'm positive. They said something about a festival. Are you staying or not?"

"For one night, please," Fujin said sweetly, dropping the money on the counter. "We'll be back later." She then shoved the two men out the door and sighed.

"They'll be gone tomorrow," Seifer groaned. Fujin shrugged.

"NO PROBLEM," she said.

"Aren't you getting a bit obsessed, ya know?" Raijin asked. Seifer glared, knuckles white from clutching the book's spine in his hand. "It's just a scrapbook. Why care, ya know?"

"I just do, okay?" he shouted. "Why don't you guys go… just go fish or something?"

"But where do we-"

"It's called Fisherman's Horizon, there's bound to be somewhere to fish. Just leave me alone." He sat on a chain rope, glaring down at his reflection on the sea as footsteps slowly made their way from behind him. Minutes ticked by as Seifer was left with his angry thoughts, until footsteps brought him back to attention. "Couldn't find a fishing spot?" he sarcastically asked, assuming it was Raijin.

"This is my fishing spot." A small fishing line distorted Seifer's reflection; he looked up to see an old man, leaning against the chain and looking relaxed. "You've quite a temper, don't you?"

"So what if I do?" The older man laughed, a wheedling tone much different from his deep voice.

"You certainly answered my question. Did no one ever tell you to respect your elders?" There was no reply. "I see. Now, son," he now adopted a business like tone "I've been around longer than three of you, and I can see a depressed young man from a mile away. What's your problem?" Seifer glared at his reflection once more, ignoring the bait floating through.

"None of your business." The man chuckled again, rummaging through a pack he had at his side.

"So, this has nothing to do with it?" In his hand was the scrapbook, which he handed to Seifer. "You dropped it when you sat on the chain." Seifer opened it, examining the pages and pausing on a picture of Quistis lying on her back watching the clouds. "She's adorable," the man said. "She your sister?" Seifer shook his head. "Cousin? Aunt?" Seifer continued to shake his head. "Don't tell me she's your daughter!" A glare from Seifer sent the old man into a fit of chuckles. "Only a joke, only a joke. So… who is she?"

"She's… kind of like an old friend. I just want to return it to her." The man sighed, withdrawing his line and casting it again.

"I assume she's your age now?" Seifer nodded. "So it's girl troubles, is it?" His head snapped up again, frowning.

"No, it's not her that's the problem, it's-"

"Now, look here, son," he said sharply. "I know that- oh, I'm Dizz. You?"

"Seifer…"

"Seifer, I know that look, and it's almost impossible to hide anything for you to hide anything from me." He paused a minute, sighing quietly. "I was in the war, those seventeen years ago. "Dizz chuckled again as Seifer gave him a look of surprise. "I look old today, but back then, I was the strong and brave type. Had a heart of steel, I did. Spies for Adel would crumble when I gave them a single glare. They couldn't hide anything for me."

"Sounds like someone I know…" Seifer said bitterly.

"It was that same heart of steel that let go of my dreams thirty years ago." Once more, Dizz stopped, checking his line for a fish. "You heard about the war we were just in, didn't you?" Seifer gave a mirthless laugh as Dizz raised his eyebrows.

"Sure as hell did."

"You were in it?" he asked. No response. "Blimey, they'll put anyone in the army these days. Well, take some advice, son: you can't let wars or what happens in them harden your heart. You've gotta chase your dreams…" he smiled and put a finger on the picture of a young Quistis and Seifer "and your girl." Seifer pondered for a moment. While it was slightly offensive that he had referred to Quistis as "his girl"… what Dizz had said made perfect sense.

"Thanks," he said, shaking the old man's hand. "I don't know what I would have done if I lost that book…"

"No sweat, son. Out of curiosity… whose side were you on, in the war?"

"I- uh… I…" Now he was trapped. Public enemy number one, no, national enemy number one, hanging around a small town with a paranoid mayor. Boy didn't that feel stupid now. Any minute, the Galbadian or Estharian police would come and haul him away…

"You don't need to tell me. That's the beauty of FH… peace first. No one cares about the other's past, you come here, and you're accepted. That's it." He awkwardly patted Seifer on the shoulder before turning back to the sea. "Good luck." Seifer smiled and turned away, but was deterred by a hand on his shoulder. "Look, Seifer… here." He handed him a sheet of paper with scribbles on it. "Write me if you ever need more pointless old-man blabber, okay?"

"Thanks, Dizz… see you." With a smile, so rare since the final battle, he moved away and quietly walked the abandoned streets. As he silently trod, recounting memories once more, a glint of sunlight made him wince and throw a hand up into his face to block it.

The afternoon sun reflected on a low glass dome, the center of which had a small building on a raised platform. A set of stairs led down to the platform. With the sun reflecting off the windows of the building and onto the glass, it seemed to shine like it was made of pure diamond. Lowering his arm, Seifer watched the glittering surface as he sat himself on the edge of a wall.

"I don't know why she wanted this place burned, y'know…" Seifer turned to see Raijin and Fujin standing behind him. "It's great…"

"BORING, BUT GREAT," Fujin said with a smile. Seifer nodded, turning back to the glass.

"What's down there?" he asked.

"That's the mayor's house, ya know. We went down there earlier, but he kind of… well… chased us out."

"PARANOID." Seifer chuckled slightly, sweeping the stupid strand of hair that kept falling in his face out of the way.

"Not like I didn't already know that, but… thanks. Shall we go do something that doesn't involve sitting around or fishing?" he asked sarcastically. Raijin scratched the back of his head, looking guilty.

"Uh… you'll be hard pressed there, ya know. If I do recall," he said, trying not to laugh, "'It's called Fisherman's Horizon', isn't it?" Fujin grinned widely and shrugged.

"POINT TAKEN." Seifer chuckled lightly and raised his hands, holding them above his head.

"All right, all right. I give; you guys win. So… what is there to do here while we wait?" Raijin shrugged, as Fujin thought for a moment. After a few seconds, a light shone in her eye… the visible one, anyway. To be perfectly honest, it caught Seifer off-guard… Fujin never even looked remotely happy unless she was putting her boot to good use- in Raijin's shin.

"WHY WAIT?" she asked, mischievously grinning. Raijin's mouth dropped open as Seifer stared with a raised eyebrow.

"You're kidding, right? I mean, it'll take forever to get to Winhill, y'know?" Seifer put a hand to Fujin's forehead.

"Did you… hit your head or something? I mean, come on… we're almost out of money as it is."

"Besides, we don't even know the train schedule, ya know? The train could be leaving any minute!" Seifer looked into the distance in the direction of the station. A month ago, Esthar had donated a few mechanics to get the station running again, so now it was easier to move from country to country. However… it was harder to get to trains on time, since only two ran per day.

"If we run," Seifer said, grinning slightly, "We can make it." Without another warning, the three of them took off in the other direction, the inn and the other buildings a multicolored blur. Dizz watched them run past, a smile on his face. There was no need to be too worried about that boy… he was okay.

Panting heavily, they arrived at the station, where the train… was in place, not leaving for another half-hour. Seifer, clutching at his chest, glared at Fujin as she smiled.

"You planned that, didn't you?" She grinned again, shrugging lightly.

"WORTH IT," she said, observing Raijin with her good eye as he panted, doubled over, and gasping for air. With the air of someone who was very proud of herself, she meandered over to the ticket booth and rapped on the glass window. "Three tickets on the next train to Timber, please." Sliding a few coins over the counter, she reached for the tickets and smiled briefly as the ticket counter gave her an odd look. "Thank you very much!"

"Why do you insist upon speaking normally around strangers?" Seifer asked, regaining his composure. Fujin shrugged, pocketing the tickets.

"POLITE." Seifer gave her a quick smile before turning and glancing around suspiciously. Though he had never really been in this town before, there was bound to have been an announcement about him somewhere, and the less time he spent here, the better.

"Do you think they'll object if we get on the train now?" he asked. Raijin shrugged, still breathing heavily. Taking that as a yes, Seifer smartly walked to where the train guard was and bent towards him, speaking in a low voice. "Would you mind if we got on the train now? We need a bit of a rest." The guard nodded, waving them through. As they slowly boarded the train, the guard pulled out a radio and began to speak into it quietly, glancing every so often into the crowd. Seifer turned to watch him as the door slid shut, as he went and looked for a compartment.

"Here's… one… ya know!" Raijin panted, pointing. Seifer opened the door and made a show of bowing them in, letting it shut as he walked in and took a seat on the opposite side of his friends.

"Don't you think you're milking it a little bit?" he asked sarcastically. "Fujin and I recovered long before you did."

"Oh, yeah… you two have… better endurance levels… than I do, ya know?"

"Didn't stop you when there were hot dogs in the cafeteria, now, did it?" Seifer asked, leaning back and closing his eyes. A reply from Raijin was cut off shortly as the train lurched into action, nearly throwing them off their seats. Seifer caught himself and looked out the window. They were pulling away… way off schedule.

"Weren't we supposed to leave in a half-hour?" Raijin asked, pushing himself back into his seat. Fujin shrugged, re-adjusting her eye patch.

"BETTER."

"She's right; the sooner we leave, the earlier we can get to Winhill. But… how come we left so early? Do you think it had to do with that guard back there…?" He looked out the window again, this time a bit nervously.

"You worry too much, ya know? I'm sure they decided to launch it early, that's all." Fujin glared at him, before whacking him in the back of the head.

"FORGETFUL," she said over Raijin's moans.

"You forget, Raijin, that we're wanted in every country. If this train left early, then it must have been of our accord. The problem is… do you think we're safe on this train?" The question shook the other two slightly. It certainly was a nuisance, to be world-wide enemy number one. Even if Raijin had forgotten for the time being, Seifer was positive that the rest of the world hadn't.

**ZOMG, I love Dizz! If you didn't find out, he's one of the random fishermen wandering around. I don't remember if he has a real name or not, but if he does… then… well, I erased it from memory. He'll make an appearance in later chapters as well, and he'll have a semi-important part in it…**

**Fujin makes me laugh, too, now that I think about it. Didn't really think she'd make them run so much that their spleens'd fall out just to make sure Seifer smiled again. But, then again, that's what friends do for their buds, right? And she's proven to all of us that she can speak normally when she wants to… maybe it's just her "thing". Review replies, and then I'm off to start the second chapter! **

**Chocobo Nunchaku- Nice to meet you! I take that grammar thing to heart, because I find on this site that there are several people who seem to think bad grammar is a redeeming quality to a story. NEWS FLASH, it's not. Welcome to the wonderful world of "Crazy Author Grieverwings".**

**Kitsu- I'm not sure why either, I think it's just that he tried to convince himself that it was his dream, and he ended up confusing himself. And yes, I now tolerate them. It's just too cute to resist… to a certain degree.**

**Hibeki- Dizz is the OC, as you can tell. Fast enough for you? Welcome to the show.**

**Sir MIDNIGHT- Thank you very much; I'd better have just as much fun writing it.**

**Best to my readers,**

**Grieverwings**


	3. Flowers, Forgiveness, and Fireworks

_Man, you wouldn't believe how crazy I am about this story. I can't stop typing! However, I'll try not to update every day, because it'll undoubtedly make some of my readers annoyed. Eventually, I'll start going slower as the chapters begin to get longer. So, anyway, on with the show. MAJOR PLOT TWIST! OOOooooooOOOO!_

_If you ask me, it's Fujin's job to give Raijin a run for his money. I happen to doubt that her ways of making fun of Raijin are not limited to kicking his foot._

**Coming Home**

Chapter 3: Flowers, Forgiveness, and Fireworks

Raijin watched skeptically as a little child ran in front of him, holding a bunch of white flowers in her fist. Almost everyone in the vicinity either was holding the blossoms or wearing a crown of them upon their head. That, however much he didn't like it, included him. Crossing his arms, he watched Seifer converse lightly with a merchant. Fujin walked up from behind him, pushing the white garland down over his eyes.

"GAY," she said, smiling widely as he grumpily attempted to wrench the circlet back above his ears.

"I do not feel gay, ya know," he said angrily, pushing his sweater sleeves above his elbows. "Why do we have to wear disguises?" Fujin shrugged, examining their outfits. Raijin wore a sweater with a pair of blue jeans, while she merely sported an orange sundress with white pants underneath. To top it off, Seifer had simply removed his overcoat and exchanged his traditional shirt for a t-shirt. None of them really looked that different… if you looked closely. The overlooking eye might pass them off for complete strangers, which is what Seifer had been going for.

"FUGITIVES," Fujin said simply, adjusting her headband so that one edge covered her eye-patch.

"Well, they were definitely here an hour ago," Seifer said, shoving a white flower quite carelessly into his pocket. He looked briefly at the two, an eyebrow raised slightly. "What're you wearing those for?" he asked.

"Fujin made me, y'know…" Raijin said dejectedly, a look that could very well be classified as a pout. She gave a shrug, prodding Seifer in the arm.

"PRETTY. WEAR IT." Seifer sighed and pulled the flower out of his pocket and tucked it into his shirt, rolling his eyes all the while. "GOOD JOB."

"Anyway," Raijin said, glaring menacingly at Fujin, "Where were they when they were last seen?" Seifer watched indifferently as she made a face behind his back, turning away when he looked at her.

"They were last seen in a pub, with a… what was it… oh. They were last seen in a small, run-down pub with a man with long black hair, wearing dog tags, and Ellone," he recited. Fujin raised an eyebrow, ignoring Raijin's gasps and mutters. She kicked him in the heel lightly, sending him into convulsive shrieks.

"ELLONE, HERE?" she asked. Seifer shrugged, wishing he had his overcoat. His arms felt oddly light without it… he must look pretty weird.

"She fit the description. Apparently, they haven't left town, but they're probably nowhere near the main streets." He paced back and forth, pondering his options. "Damn Winhill," he eventually said. "It's way too small for us to stay in one place for long. Let's go get the book, and we'll come back here in a few." Raijin shrugged, still clutching his foot, and they set off for the inn. People crowded the streets, left and right, as the day slowly slipped away. The sun was already behind the distant mountains, though some light lingered. Everyone, from the oldest man to the smallest child, was out in the streets, quite obviously waiting for something.

Seifer approached the door, finding it unlocked and slipping inside. "Wait here," he said, "I'll just grab the book and be right back." Shutting the door, the inn was dark and quiet, devoid of life but for the cat lying lazily on the counter. Feeling as though he should be absolutely silent, but not knowing why, he tiptoed upstairs and opened one of the three doors, two of which were rooms. The other was where the owner lived. Inside… was…

"Seifer?" Ellone asked, standing up quickly. She had been sitting on one of the beds, and had a white flower clutched in her hand. Funny, but it almost looked as though she had been crying. "What are you doing here?"

He raised his arms, hands outstretched, and began to back slowly out of the room. "I'm sorry… please, just don't call anyone… I'll leave." She wiped away her tears quickly, setting the flower on her bed and shaking her head.

"No, it's okay. I won't call anyone… how are you?" Seifer was taken aback by this question; he had almost expected her to ask him how he liked his prison food. She smiled briefly, still sitting. "You almost look underfed… your cheekbones stick out of your face a little." She giggled, leaving him to do what else but feel his cheekbones self-consciously.

"Have you been… okay since… since…" He couldn't bear to finish the question, it shamed him so. She waved away the question, her smile growing wider.

"Uncle Laguna takes good care of me; I'm fine. What brought you here to Winhill?"

"So, this… Laguna… is he the guy in the dog tags?" Ellone nodded, looking at him curiously.

"He's giving Squall a tour, having never visited the place properly." A sigh overtook her words, and she gently touched the flower again. "It's good that Squall knows where he came from. I left, because he was going to show him where Raine was buried. And I came here, then… well, here you are." Seifer took this in deeply… this was where his rival had been born? Was his father this Laguna person?

"But… I thought you said he was your brother."

"Well, technically, he is, but Raine was never really my… why do you care, Seifer?" Seifer had to stop beating around the bush; she was beginning to get suspicious. He'd often dreamed of having a chance like this, for all of them. Inside, he'd give anything to be able to apologize to them all, but… he was still a wanted criminal. It also took a lot of guts to muster up those two words… but he'd have to do it. Swallowing his pride, Seifer turned away and closed his eyes.

"Elle… Sis… I'm sorry. For everything…" He was taken aback when he felt a small body collide with his. Letting out an 'oof', he opened his eyes to see Ellone had given him a brief hug.

"All of you were like my brothers and sisters. That's never going to change… and you can never hate a brother or sister. Did you think I wasn't going to forgive you?" Thankfully, she let go, smiling up at him. "The others," she said, smile faltering, "won't be as forgiving, you know."

"I'm not seeking forgiveness from the others," Seifer said indifferently. "I don't deserve it. But… someone else needs an apology as well. Have you seen Edea recently?" Ellone shrugged, flopping back down onto her bed and picking up the white flower.

"No, but Squall and the others are going back to Garden tomorrow. A SeeD's job is never done. Matron lives there with Mr. Kramer now." Seifer nodded, a plan quickly forming in his mind.

"Can you give something to Quistis for me before they leave?" He waited for a nod, then ran out of the room quickly. "Wait here," he said. Dashing into the next room, he seized the scrapbook from the bed, wrote a quick note on a scrap of paper, and slipped it into the last page. After a moment of consideration, he took the flower from his shirt and slid it in-between the plastic covering as well, dashing back into Ellone's room.

"What is it?" she asked, taking the book from his hands.

"It's Quistis's old scrapbook… I found it a few weeks ago. Will you give it to her for me?" Ellone nodded, looking out the window. "Give her a message as well: Tell Edea I'm sorry."

"Of course, Seifer… I should get back, they'll probably be back any minute." She made to walk out the door, before Seifer grabbed her long sleeve. Detained, she patiently waited for whatever Seifer had to say that was so important that he had to rip her sleeve off to say.

"Don't… don't tell her that it's from me, okay?" Ellone looked surprised briefly before nodding, starting to walk outside. "I'll walk out first… it was nice to see you, Sis."

"It's always nice to see you, Seifer," Ellone said, briefly hugging him again before watching him walk quickly down the steps. Shutting the inn's door, he realized that he had been longer than he'd realized, as the sky was a dark, midnight blue and covered in stars.

"What kept you, ya know?" Raijin asked, clapping Seifer on the shoulder. "We thought that you'd ditched us, or the police got you or something!"

"WORRIED," Fujin said, and the garland in her hands showed that. It was twisted and turned every which way, some flowers dangling as if attempting an escape.

"We just need to move, fast. Squall might be coming this way, and who the hell knows what he'll do to me if he spots me."

"More than likely something that involves ripping out your vocal cords, ya know," Raijin said unhelpfully. Seifer rolled his eyes as they made their ways through the crowd, stars continuing to dot the darkened skies as they reached the town exit.

"GO?" Fujin asked, pointing at the car that had gotten them there, not too far off.

"We probably- oh, damn!" Seifer shouted, kicking at a wall. "Our stuff is back at the inn! We can't go back without risking our heads being cut off! God damn!" he yelled, in a rage so horrible that they hadn't seen in at least a few months.

"Seifer… it's not that bad, okay? We can just go now and… oh wait… our weapons are there, ya know." Seifer growled loudly and pounded the wall with his fist. At the same instance, an explosion roared overhead. He began to think stupidly that it was his fault the noises went off, and that since he had hit the building so hard, it had emitted sparks and a noise of some sort. However, and thankfully, this was not the case.

"FIREWORKS!" Fujin yelled, pointing into the sky. Seifer looked upwards, staring at the sky in wonder. It was amazing that such a small town could afford such extravagant measures for such an unimportant festival.

"Wow… that's… really beautiful. Have you guys ever seen- Raijin?" he asked. "Fujin?" His friends had disappeared. "What the he-" Strong, rough hands seized Seifer's arms and tied a loose piece of cloth around his mouth, muffling any shouts he tried to give. Quite obviously, something was wrong. He felt a thick rope being tied around his wrists and his ankles, before being pushed to the ground by someone's foot.

"SEIFER!" Fujin yelled, being pushed into a car. Raijin was already gone, probably in some other car. Crashing to the ground, Seifer realized he couldn't move at all. The men stood in a circle around him, glaring down with utmost hatred gleaming in their eyes. He then saw their badges… Estharian police. They were most certainly in deep crap.

"It is him. Simply amazing…"

"The security guard was right! That's the first time he's been right!"

"Damn straight he was right!" one of them said. Seifer's vision began to blur lightly before coming into focus again. He must have hit the ground harder than he'd thought… it had really done a number on his sight. He quietly let his mind wander, wondering if Fujin was still wearing the flower garland.

"I just don't believe that a wanted fugitive would waltz right into a protected town and pretend to hide. Thank God we picked up his stuff earlier."

"I know what you mean. I wouldn't like that gunblade through my middle, if you catch my drift. What kind of idiot wanders into a town where the Esthar President himself ordered protection?"

"I guess criminals don't have time to listen to public announcements…" Seifer's hearing fizzed out as the ground around him blurred again. He hated being in this vulnerable state… lying on the ground, unable to move, feeling delusional, and now he knew he looked a mess. If only he had his gunblade… he'd rip these fools apart. The last of the fireworks roared overhead, briefly illuminating the night skies. Was he merely imagining them, delusion seizing his last sane moments in hopes of controlling him? Consciousness slowly faded away as Seifer's eyes slid closed of their own accord. This had to be the first time he'd passed out, he thought mildly as the world slipped away. As far as he could remember, nothing like this had happened before. Then again… he wouldn't really remember, would he… would he remember… this…?

Nothing.

_-.-.-.-.-.-.-_

_Edea- Quistis- Zell- Rinoa- Everyone-_

_I'm sorry. I don't ask for redemption… I'm beyond that. Just know that I am sorry. Forget about me. Forget about the past. Forget and enjoy your today._

_-Almasy_

_P.S. Instructor: Am I still your favorite student?_

_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-_

**Aw… he has a heart in there somewhere! It's a miracle! However, as we know, it's not really a miracle, is it? I'm fairly positive that line is somewhere near the end of the second disk if you have Quistis in your party before you face off with Seifer. If it's not, then, whatever. I like making up my own stuff.**

**Were you expecting him to be able to run about willy-nilly for the entire story? No, I always knew that even though the game ended, the story sure as heck didn't stop. I knew Seifer would have to get captured… otherwise, he wouldn't really learn from his mistakes, would he? NEVER go out in a public place if you're trying to not get arrested. Rule number one. So ends another chapter… finished the same freaking day I uploaded the second chapter. What the heck is up with that?**

**Chocobo Nunchaku- Again, these are words I will pride myself upon later. You do me great credit with those words, but… I really don't deserve them. I just happen to have a good memory for unnaturally trivial things.**

**Bermudan- Thank you very much. I happen to enjoy writing them quite as much as I did watching their antics onscreen… some of those lines Seifer gave just knocked me off my feet. Every good hero deserves a good rival, right?**

**Hibeki- I can't decide whether or not he should be that fisherman that gets accidentally strung up by the kid's evil fishing line or some other random guy, but yes, Dizz is intended to play a small if not important role here. And I totally agree with that grammar thing. While I may pride myself for my grammar on here (Word spell check takes most of the credit), my real speech is pretty bad. Which is why it's such a miracle that I can string together two sentences on here.**

**Sir MIDNIGHT- Oddly enough, no. If you haven't guessed yet, then… yeah. I suppose I'm not going to tell you. Wait for another chapter or two… I just hope that I don't scare anyone away… It's not like it's a weird pairing, I just don't want to scare reviewers away. -grins-**

**Author out,**

**Grieverwings**


	4. Imprisoned

_After a day or two of internet-less-ness, I have returned with a new chapter! Yay me! Read and do whatever the heck you do when you read… which, hopefully, is review._

_I LOVE HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE! -cough- Okay, moving on._

**Coming Home**

Chapter 4: Imprisoned

"My… head…" Seifer moaned, not feeling in control of his body. Though he felt something hard upon his stomach and face, he was almost positive that he was floating. However, this comfortable feeling was interrupted by a crackling sound and an odd, stiff substance on the back of his head. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to see a hand in front of his face. As the rest of his body slowly awoke, he willed the appendage in front of him to move, but felt and saw nothing.

Abandoning the current mission, Seifer let his eyes rove about. The room was quiet, unfurnished, and cold. Walls like the rooms in Lunatic Pandora surrounded him on all sides, no door in sight. Lying on his stomach, Seifer dimly realized that he was trapped, and to make it worse, his cloak was gone. "Come on…" he muttered, willing his arm to move. After half-a-minute's delay, it twitched and moved, shaking lightly as it rose through the air.

It hovered for a moment, dangling above his head before he laid it gently on the back. Slight spasms of pain shot through his head, making Seifer wince and pull his head away with a jerk. Slowly, he pulled his palm closer to his face to realize that his hand was caked in dried blood. And, by the feel of liquid dripping down the back of his neck, he'd just re-opened the wound. "Damn…" he muttered, wiping the blood of onto one of his pant legs and using his arms to heave himself into a sitting position.

From what he could remember… he was quite obviously an Esthar prisoner. And they quite obviously weren't anywhere near letting him go. But… "The least they could do is spare a medic…" Seifer said quietly, surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded. Footsteps alerted him and he turned his head sharply, wincing as another stab of pain went through his mind.

A tall person, wearing a long, white lab coat, was standing off to the side, holding a clipboard. Allowing his eyes to focus, he realized it was a frightening old woman. To his dismay, her large and mannish hands were reaching for the back of his head.

"Don't you dare struggle," she said sharply, just as Seifer made to pull his head away. "I've been sent in to examine your wound, though I find it a waste of time. You'll stay put unless you want to sit in here and bleed to death." Taking advantage of Seifer's dismay, she seized his head and twisted it sharply.

Seifer sat for what felt like hours as she probed, prodded, and generally abused the back of his head. Finally, brushing small droplets of blood off her sleeves, she let go. "Well, all that's left is some dried blood and a scab. Keep your head off the ground and you'll be just… peachy."

"Wait," he exclaimed as she made to stand. "What about the wound? Why is it bleeding again?"

"The scab reopened; there's nothing we can do about that. A medic will be sent in later to bandage it, and you'll be given a washcloth to wipe off your head." Turning to leave, she paused, almost weighing her words carefully. "The president will be in to see you shortly." With that, she turned and walked, disappearing before Seifer could see where she'd gone.

"Yeah!" he called at the wall, anger rising within his throat. "Thanks for the heads up!" He growled lightly, feeling another throb pulse through his head. To be honest, this wasn't how he'd planned to spend the rest of his life… in a jail cell. However, it looked like this most certainly was where he could picture the next twenty years of his life, simply growing old in prison. That had to do wonders for the sanity level.

With the steady drip of the slowly lessening drops of blood spattering against the floor, he began to ponder how to get out. According to Seifer, this didn't mean he was defeated. He had merely been knocked down, and now he planned to leap back onto his feet. Failure, Seifer thought with a smirk, was not a possibility. Now, all he had to do was regain his ability to hold himself upright, figure out where the door was, get past all of the guards, re-obtain his cloak and gunblade, make it out, and then… oh wait… Raijin and Fujin had to make it into the mix somewhere, he couldn't abandon them… With a sigh, Seifer brushed the hair out of his eyes again. With the estimate of how long that plan would take him… it would be a long three years.

"Hey." Another set of clicking heels made Seifer roll his eyes. More than likely, it was that… person… come back to prod at his head some more. Turning instead, he saw a man in some plain clothes, with rugged black army boots doing the clicking. Around his neck hung two dog-tags, and his hair was streaked with grey.

"Have you come to prod at my head, too? Or have you come to deliver my daily meal of maggot-infested bread and water?" The man laughed, hands clenched behind his back.

"Neither. I came to talk to you, and bring you this." With a grin, he showed Seifer what he had in his hands: Seifer's trench coat. Seifer attempted to stand, but with a throb of his head, he merely held a hand out and took it.

"Thanks. So… are you the medic?" Once more, the man laughed, squatting onto the ground with a groan.

"Nope, though I'm sure his job is easier than mine is. I'm the president." Seifer's eyes widened, staring at the older man next to him in surprise. He stood again, grunting as he moved his right leg lightly. "Never knew why it does that… Here," he said, holding a hand out to Seifer.

"What… do you want?"

"To help you stand up, of course. I thought you'd want to put on the cloak the instant you got it back." With an odd look at the man's smile, Seifer took his hand and tried to stand upright. As he swayed back and forth, the president helped him fit his arms through the sleeves and lowered him back to the ground.

"Thanks… sir…" he said quietly, feeling more himself now that he couldn't see his arms.

"None of that sir stuff, please. I get enough of that in office. I'm Laguna Loire." Seifer nodded, wishing he still had gloves to complete the effect of his cloak.

"I suppose you know who I am… you're Ellone's uncle?" Laguna's smile faltered as he flopped onto the ground. He stretched out his right leg and sighed lightly, a frown now piercing his happy face.

"Sort of… though I haven't behaved as a relative should. I really screwed up with her… You know her, quite obviously. Did you grow up in that horrible orphanage?" Seifer jumped slightly at the disrespect he had towards his childhood home and glared indifferently at Laguna.

"It's not a horrible place. It was my home… the one place I had."

"Well, it wasn't the only thing Ellone had. She had me. And, like the idiot I am, I never even thought about her until it was too late, and she was grown up, and Raine was gone." He laughed stiffly, running a hand through his graying hair. "I let them both… I let them all down." Seifer made to rub the back of his head, but pulled his hand away at the last second.

It was fairly uncomfortable, listening to the man meant to condemn him spewing out his troubles. It was also weird to think that this man, the president, was almost like Ellone's… well, her father. "Oh," Laguna said suddenly, jolting back into action. He pulled a washcloth out of his back pocket and handed it to Seifer. "That puddle's getting really nasty looking."

"Thank you…" As he quietly wiped up the small drips and held the clean part up to his head to stem the blood flow, Laguna sighed once more and moved his leg tentatively. He smiled, since he felt no pain. "What's wrong with your leg?"

"Oh, this old thing?" Laguna laughed, patting it lightly. "It cramps up whenever I get nervous. I suppose I was pretty worried about coming in to meet a convicted world-wide felon!" He chuckled lightly, but it faded away after he glanced at Seifer's stony face. "Um… whoops? No offense meant, really." Seifer rolled his eyes, bringing his free hand up to rub the bridge of his nose.

"So, did you come in here merely to exchange friendly banter, or what?" _Crap, _he thought, _way to insult the president. Next thing I'll be hearing is 'off with your head'._ Laguna eyed him warily before rubbing the back of his neck.

"As a matter of fact, no. I was sent to actually pass my judgment, but all I've really done is banter on while you sit there quietly. You seem like an okay guy, but… you never know, y'know?" He let a sigh escape once more before jumping to his feet and looking down at Seifer's pitiful figure on the ground. "So… here's the part I hate most…" Beginning to pace back and forth, he kept a single eye on Seifer as he began to take labored steps.

Seifer noticed with a smirk: his leg had cramped up again.

"Seifer Almasy… you understand that you attacked the former president of Galbadia, correct?" He looked down at Seifer, pausing in his laborious pace. With no reply, he rolled his eyes. "You're supposed to agree or disagree." Puh, like he didn't know it! Had the man never heard of something called thinking? _Whoa… calm down, Almasy… keep it level…_

"Yes." Laguna resumed his pacing.

"You understand that you assisted a deadly force within the Galbadian govornment, correct?"

"Yes."

"You kidnapped Ellone, and went up against the entire world with the most dangerous sorceress ever known to exist, correct?" Seifer smirked lightly. Apparently, Mr. President had never seen Rinoa at her time of the month… Hyne knew that it had probably gotten worse since she had gotten her powers…

"Yes." Laguna stopped, debating with himself. His quiet mutters were slurred, but most certainly heard by Seifer, even if it did sound as though he was drunk. Finally, he stopped, fixing Seifer with a kindly but piercing stare.

"Well… you're obviously aware of these things, so…" Here he began muttering to himself again, but Seifer could hear every word. "Well, he seemed okay there for a while… I mean, come on, trials are so dumb anyway… I wonder what Raine would say… huh… YEAH!" he shouted, pumping a fist into the air. Seifer jumped a bit and stared in amazement at Laguna. For someone who looked that old… he was surprisingly limber.

Continuing his pacing and muttering, though a bit lower in tone, Seifer continued to watch him go back and forth, muttering to himself all the while. Finally, he stopped and gave Seifer a wide and slightly insane grin. "That just might work. But… gotta make sure and all." He bent down, looking Seifer straight in the eye. He was quite inclined to scooting away and using his coat as a shield, since the older man showed every sign of insanity. However, he stayed put and stared back at the man, cloth that was meant for stopping the blood laying discarded a foot away.

"Look, this isn't a standard question, but… are you sorry?" Seifer continued to stare, an eyebrow raised and his jaw threatening to drop open.

"What?"

"Are you sorry for everything you did?" He paused, letting him think; his eyes brightened. "You're a Balamb Garden student, right?"

"Yeah… I am."

"You're what, sorry or a Garden student?"

"Both…" he said. "I guess…" he muttered the last part, but Laguna didn't hear.

"I have to make a few phone calls; I'll talk to you later!" With a jump, he strode out of the room and… through the wall. Holy crap. This was ultimate proof, Seifer thought, that the man was insane. Sitting quietly, he drummed his fingers upon his knee idly and let his thoughts carry him away.

_Why is it that almost everyone I meet either needs a brain or a shrink?_

_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-_

_Why is it that almost everyone I know either brainless or insane?_

Sitting quietly, Quistis drummed her fingers upon her knee idly as she sat in the passenger's seat next to Selphie. The Ragnarok had not taken off yet, but quite a lot had already happened. The day after the festival, with Squall (if possible) even more sullen than usual, they had gathered up supplies. Since Quistis was the one who could be trusted in splitting the potions fairly, she had been in charge of that particular area. With rumors of an arrest flying around, everyone seemed a bit happier to stand around and gab about the arrest than help their customers.

After that, there had been a minor spat between Zell and Irvine, which happened every day anyway, and Squall… continued to be sullen. Quistis, wisely, couldn't blame him at all, since he had recently been told a fact that he had been denied for seventeen years: he had a father. Laguna couldn't have picked a worse time to tell him.

With a teary goodbye from Ellone and an apologetic farewell from Laguna, they had boarded the Ragnarok and began to prepare to leave… an hour ago. Now, Zell was rooting through the cargo hold, Squall was off grumping somewhere with Rinoa to comfort him, Selphie was humming her "Train Song" and pounding out the beat on the controls, Irvine was playing with a deck of cards, and that left her. Lonesome Quistis, sitting on the seat, listening to Selphie hum away and Irvine muttering to himself as she sifted through the jumble that was her thoughts.

Ellone had drawn her aside before they left and pressed a book into her hands, smiling. Quistis recalled the event and combed it through for anything suspicious.

"_Here," Ellone said, pushing the book into Quistis's gloved hands. A smile lit her face as she stared at Quistis. "From an old friend of ours." As Quistis moved to open the book, Ellone pushed her hand down, snapping the book shut. "Don't open it until you're by yourself!" With that, she pushed the older girl onto the ship and grinned wisely. "You'll see!"_

Okay, Quistis thought, maybe everything was suspicious about that. Selphie continued to hum, and Quistis had a bright idea. "Selphie," she said quietly.

"Train, train, oh won't you- huh? Oh. What, Quisty?"

"Would you do me a favor and go check on Zell? He's been back there for a while."

"Oh, okay! Come with me, Irvine!" she shouted, jumping from her seat.

"'kay then…" Irvine muttered, allowing Selphie to drag him off by the arm. With a devious grin, Quistis pulled the book out from under the passenger's seat and gently fingered its cover. Scratched in childish handwriting on the spine was "Quistis". Opening the front page, she gasped in realization.

"My scrapbook!" Flipping page after page, she took in all the childhood memories and observed the ancient pictures and drawings. In one sleeve were the crushed up petals of the rare purple flower she had found so long ago… Seifer had destroyed them. Seifer… Pulling her attention away from that painful topic, she continued to turn the pages until she reached the last page, which had a fresh white flower pressed between the sleeve with a small note.

She pulled the flower out first, inhaling its sweet scent. With a smile, she placed it in her lap and gently tugged the note from its place, unfolding it and pressing it flat. Quistis realized with a gasp that it was Seifer's handwriting… if there was anything she was famous for it was remembering a student's handwriting. She allowed her eyes to scan it quickly, pausing, and rereading it to make sure she had seen it correctly.

"Edea- Quistis- Zell- Rinoa- Everyone," she read aloud, "I'm sorry. I don't ask for redemption. I'm beyond that. Just know that I…" she faltered lightly, the words prodding at her heart as if to impale it, "know that I am sorry. Forget about me. Forget about the past. Forget and enjoy your today. Signed, Almasy…" His words poked at her, torturing her mind until she realized… there was more to Seifer than what met the eye. Who knew that he could think upon such a deep level? Finally, the last line drew her attention.

"P.S. Instructor: Am I still… still…" She shoved the book under her chair and the note into her pocket as she heard footsteps from behind. Brushing the tears threatening to spill over, she straightened up and glared at the approaching figure. It was Squall, grumping her way to see if they were ready.

"I want to leave before the hour is up," Squall said gruffly, turning on his heel and stomping away again. Quistis angrily muttered to herself, cross that she could possibly have the audacity to cry. Quistis, the SeeD leader, the Ice Queen, did not cry. However, as her hand made its way to cradle the note in her pocket, she realized something… Quistis, the person, the woman, was allowed to cry if she needed to. To compensate, she allowed a single tear to drop onto her lap as she mentally answered Seifer's question.

_Am I still your favorite student?_

_Yes… I forgive you._

**SO! -is proud of self- Oh, just to let you know, Seifer was out for about a day and a half, and the Quistis thing takes place a bit in the past. Like, a day or so.**

** I love Laguna… he's just too cool for words. I also gave him a bit of an "oldish" feel, because he's around… -counts on toes- forty-two, and I'm sure he's a bit older than most give him credit for, including himself. Not much else to say, except that you should have figured out the pairing by now, and… LAGUNA ROCKS!**

**Sir MIDNIGHT: Aw, I feel so… -casts about for word- appreciated! I've personally always thought it was Raijin/Fujin, but I suppose that's just me. They don't act all soppy in this one, though. It's about Seifer, not them.**

**Chocobo Nunchaku- Thanks much! I decided to stick that in there because I couldn't figure out where to put his note… so, I decided that at the end was okay.**

**Hibeki- -bows extravagantly and falls on face- My friend and I are constantly arguing over him… it's pretty fun. Seifer's always been an awesome character and I simply figure that he's a pretty messed up teenager. For me, that's why.**

**Ally-Kat772- Amazing! Someone else who does the flying tackle! XD Anyway, you'll find out soon enough. I feel bad about the flashbacks; the website accidentally deleted the spacers I had between them. I'm going to re-edit the chapter later, too, so you can reread it if you still are confused. **

**Kitsu- -evil grin- I can't hide anything from you, can I? I don't think any of them can forget him, really, for all their different reasons. We know Quistis plays favorites with Squall, but I think she played favorites a bit with Seifer too. I mean, if I was an instructor, I wouldn't let my student retake the SeeD exams at least a billion times.**

**Much love,**

**Grieverwings**


	5. Painful Reunion

_I feel really bad… haven't updated in what feels like forever, to me. I skipped over some people in the reviews, and I feel bad about that, too, but Advent Children has recently acquired my brain and won't give it back. So… blame it, not me. :D I suppose that I should put a disclaimer here somewhere… but honestly, if I did own this thing, I'd be busy making a Final Fantasy 8 sequel. Seriously._

**Coming Home**

Chapter 5: Painful Reunion

Seifer's fingers twitched ominously as he sat quietly on the ground. However, the peaceful demeanor his relative posture and the look on his face was only the tip of the iceberg. His hair practically stood on end, and when he opened his eyes, two bloodshot marbles stared out into the distance. Inside his head was a mass of whirling, sometimes insane thoughts that refused to be squelched. To top that, his bladder was ready to explode. Not a fun combination.

There was a good reason for these many problems with him in this state, and these thoughts were amongst the many drowning in his brain. For one, his eyes were bloodshot because he had not gotten any sleep at all, even though Laguna had personally requested that he receive a pillow and blanket to eliminate the dangers of reopening the wound. His hair was incredibly messy mostly because he kept running his fingers through it and clutching it in despair. His bladder was exploding since he refused to use the small lavatory in the corner as he was convinced that the walls were rigged with cameras. And his brain was in overdrive since solitary confinement can really pull a number on sane people.

According to the small pocket watch he had been carrying around before the arrest, it had only been a day and a half since his awakening, but since there was no conversation, save for the occasional drop-in by the mannish-woman or someone sporting a rather large needle, the seconds passed by like hours and the minutes like days.

In short, Seifer was ready to crack.

To be frank, he didn't entirely mind being by himself, as he had no idea what he would do if someone so much as looked at him wrong. However, it was taking its toll, leaving Seifer to- dare he think it- have conversations with himself. Heck, he was having arguments with himself and losing. Staring at the wall with eyes that would scare even the meanest soldier, he grappled for the pillow and threw it at the wall.

"I'm not crazy!" he shouted angrily at whoever was listening. "I know you're watching me with those stupid cameras!" The wall shook threateningly as if some doctor with a foot long needle was just itching to get in there and stick it through Seifer's- "Hey!" he shouted at the wall, "You wanna come in here and give me anesthesia, come and do it! GOD KNOWS I COULD USE THE SLEEP!" he yelled. The wall stopped shimmering.

With a sigh, he considered getting up to get the pillow and attempt to sleep, but moving would mean aggravating his bladder, which would lead to a fairly embarrassing problem. Not moving would mean that he was risking collapsing on the floor and reopening his wound, which would undoubtedly hurt… or pour out all of his blood. Seifer decided to risk the bladder problems. Pulling himself across the floor with his arms, he made sure not to move his legs as he reached the place where his pillow had landed.

Gently lowering himself down, a moan of relief racked his body as the soft pillow comforted the back of his fairly swollen head. Almost instantly, his eyes began to close. He was finally being granted the sleep denied him for what seemed like forever… he just hoped that he didn't have a… problem… while he slept. Darkness shrouded him like a blanket, before loud footsteps made him grunt in annoyance.

"Seifer, guess what?" With a sigh, Seifer cracked open an eye, seeing Laguna bent all the way over, shouting in his face. Shutting the eye again, Seifer groaned and rolled over.

"Go away… I'm tired…"

"Cid and his assistant are coming to visit you! Garden might give you another chance!" Seifer inhaled a mouthful of pillow, coughing and spluttering as he sat up quickly. His eyes gave away every emotion: fear, anger, confusion. It was just that Laguna either refused to notice them, or he couldn't.

"You're kidding, right? There's no way you got them to come down here… they'll kill me! Squall will be right behind him, gunblade ready to chop off my head!" Seifer's voice was fairly high-pitched, anger constricting his vocal cords. However, Laguna didn't hear, since at the word 'Squall' his face darkened considerably.

"Hmph… Well, they'll be here in an hour or so, so let's go!" He pulled on Seifer's arm, only to have the younger boy sigh and give him a glare.

"Sir, did you not see me? I. WAS. GOING. TO. FALL. ASLEEP. YOU. WOKE. ME. UP!" Laguna flinched and began to back away slowly, smiling nervously.

"Uh… heh… yeah, you've got… uh… five minutes, then I'll come back in, and… we'll try again." He came closer and closer to the wall, finally turning and sprinting away in desperation. Caught up in rage, Seifer pulled off his boot and flung it at the wall to no avail and shouted at it.

"TURN OFF THE CAMERAS, I HAVE TO PEE!" Almost instantly, the humming noise that he had been taking for the air conditioning was shut off. Seifer then understood: the walls themselves were the cameras! Making a childish face at the wall in disgust, he groaned and stared at the toilet. It was now or never… with a great grunt, he heaved himself up and sprinted. Laguna had said five minutes? Puh. "Let's hope I've got that long!" Seifer muttered.

_-.-.-.-.-.-.-_

"They've found him. Seifer's in prison."

"WHAT?" Quistis shouted, mouth agape. She was standing in front of the Ragnarok, staring in anger and fear at Zell. "You're kidding, right?"

"No. That's why Squall and Headmaster Cid needed us to pack. You… did pack, didn't you?" he asked skeptically, looking at the small tote bag she was carrying.

"A toothbrush, toothpaste, and a rolled up pair of pajamas. Look, that's not the point. We're leaving NOW?" Zell nodded. "Because they arrested Seifer?" Another nod. "While we were in Winhill, and now we're going to a meeting with him?"

"Look, just get the answers from Squall or something! I don't know!" Quistis nodded fiercely.

"Is everyone on the ship?"

"All but us, and Selphie said that you're piloting, so- WHOA!" He was dragged onto the airship with ferocity that he had no idea Quistis could emit.

"We'll be there in less than an hour."

"B-but Esthar's like three hours away! You'll never get there!"

"Try me."

_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-_

"I don't believe this…" Seifer moaned, pacing back and forth through the small room. Laguna was in a chair, kicked back on two legs and resting his feet on the table.

"Relax, Seifer. I'm sure it'll all go well. Besides, with me and Cid there, I doubt anyone'll try and kill you or something."

"Reassuring words there, Mr. President," Seifer said sarcastically. Laguna scoffed, waving a hand. "If Squall and his little crew comes along, then someone WILL try and kill me 'or something'."

"Please," he laughed, "Squall wouldn't kill anyone." Seifer glared at him as Laguna winced. "Um… I take that back. Anyway, as long as you're in this room, nothing'll happen too life threatening."

"Mr. President?" A young attendant stepped through the room, catching Seifer by surprise. "They're here."

"Oh, of course, send them in." The girl nodded, smiling briefly at Laguna and throwing a frightened glance towards Seifer, and walked out of the room.

"I'm dead… I never even reached the legal drinking age…" Seifer said the last part fairly sarcastically, knowing that was what Raijin was more than likely thinking.

"You're not gonna… what?" Laguna eyed him oddly, shaking his head. "Anyway, it'll be fine." Almost as if it was a response, the door slung open, revealing a very angry-looking Squall and Headmaster Cid right behind him.

"Look, Squall, you mustn't lose your head…" Seifer stood up and froze, staring at his rival with almost a fearful expression. They merely stared, glaring at each other, until finally Squall snapped.

Clenching his fists, he raised one hand and pointed at Seifer, a vein practically popping out of his forehead. He stormed forward, drawing back a fist as he went. "Son of a BITCH!" he shouted. Seifer merely turned his head, leaving Squall's blow to collide with the left side of his jaw. Laguna stood, while Cid shouted "Really!", and Seifer merely fell backwards a tad, regaining his balance and rubbing his jaw.

"Brings back memories, does it?" he said coldly, remembering the slicing pain as he only turned his head to avoid the blade. He would never jump back. Not from Squall. Squall drew back his fist again, fury leaking from his every movement.

"Pity that one didn't knock you down, Seifer. I want you to beg on your hands and knees for what you did! I'll slice you open again, but this time you won't get off with just a scar!" Seifer wiped blood off his lip and looked down at his hand. Almost the entire back was drenched in blood. He must have broken something.

"Commander Leonhart! Control yourself!" Cid snapped. Almost as though waking from a sleep, Squall dropped his hand and stared wildly at him. All was still and silent as the steady drip of blood from Seifer's hand shattered on the floor.

"Squall, we're not here to kill each other," Laguna said, stepping in front of Seifer with his hands raised. The fire returned, leaving Squall to point at Laguna and glare.

"So you're on his side? He's a mass murderer, we shouldn't even be here! He should be under a heavy axe, or a guillotine, or in front of a bullet!" Laguna shook his head again, waving his hands wildly.

"Seifer's admitted to what he did! He knows he's responsible, so shouldn't we treat him like an adult and let him own up for it?"

"He's not a human, he's a monster!" Squall shouted back.

"Look who's talking!" Seifer shouted at him. "I know my mistakes! However, I don't go around punching people before they can give a valid explanation!"

"You almost killed us!" Squall shouted back once more. "You sacrificed Rinoa to some gender confused sorceress! You allowed _your_ bitch of a sorceress to put her under a coma, then ditch her and send her out into space! You gave me this scar!" Seifer made to yell back, but gunfire made them both jump. Laguna held his machine gun in the air, smoking lightly as he stowed it back in his pocket.

"Will you both shut up and sit down?" Apparently, Laguna had never been this mad before, because Squall instantly planted into one of the seats, a bit reluctantly, of course. Seifer followed suit, and so did Headmaster Cid. Finally, Laguna sat down, obviously calming himself. "Squall, you have reason to be mad, and so does Seifer. You did punch him in the face."

"Well, he des-" Laguna raised a hand.

"Yeah, I know where you stand. Now, look… Seifer's admitted to these crimes. I happen to believe in second chances, and so does Cid. Seifer's payed some of his debt back, having obtained two head wounds, thanks to your current edition, has been arrested, and… well, he seems like an okay person."

"Okay?"

"SO, Squall," Laguna gave his son a fierce glare, "Cid and I have decided to hear Seifer out, allow him to tell his side of the story, and then he will decide whether or not Seifer can go back to Garden, or he should stay in jail. If he stays in Esthar, it'll be up to the govornment and me to decide what to do with him. If Cid wants to, he will ask others for advice, but only if he wants to. Thus, unless Cid values your opinion enough to hear you out, you will not be part of this decision. Got that, Squall?" Laguna's face was almost contorted from glaring, and Seifer could see why Squall wasn't daring to retort.

"Seifer Almasy…" Cid said quietly, waving a hand. "You may stand if you wish, but I'd like to hear your explanation for this… unfortunate predicament." With a sigh, Seifer stood and began to sort through his scrambled thoughts. Of course, he'd more than likely have to tell his story since he had left Garden to become Ultimecia's knight, but… he'd have to leave some bits out, since they were… private matters. They mostly consisted of the memories Ultimecia had given back to him… ones from his childhood.

"Um… Headmaster Cid… did anyone else but" he resisted the urge to call Squall 'puberty boy' "Leonhart come with you?"

"Actually… yes. They're waiting down the hall." Cid smiled briefly at Seifer, while Squall merely grimaced. "Would you like them to come in?"

"I think they should hear this too," Laguna said.

"Squall? Would you get them, please?" Squall nodded and stood from his chair, brushing past Seifer roughly. He stuck his head out of the doorway, speaking to someone in harsh, quick, rough tones and walked back in. Seconds later, Zell came crashing through the doorway, obviously fuming. Clutching to his arm and being dragged along in attempt to stop him was Selphie, followed by Irvine, Rinoa, and finally… Quistis. She looked upset, if anything… Seifer's heart dropped lightly as she fixed him with a heated glare.

"It's the dream team…" Seifer muttered quietly. They all took places in chairs, Rinoa clutching Squall's arms lightly. He noticed that Quistis's chair was a bit further away from the others, further away from Seifer… He cleared his throat, pretended he didn't notice, and began to pace back and forth.

"After I attacked the former president of Galbadia, the woman who I thought was Edea brought me with her to where she was residing. There, Ultimecia revealed herself to me and told me that she'd needed a knight to protect her. I didn't really know what a knight did, and I was a bit… reluctant at first, but she promised me something in return. So, I joined her.

"Since I had sworn my fealty, she gave me what she had promised… my memory back. I hadn't known that the guardian forces wiped my memories, and I got back a lot of… unwanted feelings." He resisted the urge to steal a glance at Quistis, closing his eyes instead. "Together we plotted to overthrow Galbadia, and the parade was the perfect idea. So, that's what we did. She destroyed Deiling, and then there was a parade in her honor.

"Of course, SeeD wasn't expected, and when they were thrown in the mix everything blew up. We were trapped, and the sharpshooter's bullet was reflected… but chaos ensued in the crowd. People began revolting against soldiers, and then came Leonhart." A light began to flicker in Squall's eyes as Rinoa clutched his arm tighter. "I made up some crap about it being my dream, but I was fooling myself. Needless to say, I got my ass kicked. Ultimecia was pretty pissed that she had to take it into her own hands.

"I honestly thought that Squall was dead. The others were arrested and sent off to the prison. As punishment… Ultimecia sent me after them. I'd failed." He shrugged lightly, scratching the back of his neck. This part embarrassed him. "I volunteered to be the head of the torture unit. I was kind of… consumed by this utter hatred. I was fooling myself, under a sort of a delusion. So… I relished being able to wreak my vengeance on Leonhart. I was positive that he would die by my hands… that kind of scared me. But… it was kind of like an adrenalin rush… once you get in, you can't get out."

"You positive you weren't just… high off something?" Zell asked angrily. Seifer, irritated at being interrupted through his tirade, gave him a glare.

"Let me finish, Chick-…" He stopped at the last moment. It wouldn't do to lose his cool in front of the people who could mean life and death. Zell gave him a glare, knowing precisely what Seifer had been intending to say.

"I'll rip you limb from limb, you son of a bitch!" he shouted, gripping the chair with white knuckles. Seifer was wondering if he would have to count how many times he'd been called that the previous span. However carefully he'd been guarding it, his temper cascaded, and Seifer coolly stared Zell down.

"Really, Zell, do I talk about your mother that way?" Zell almost leapt out of his seat.

"Please! You're acting like children!" Cid sharply chastised. Cursing his self control, Seifer reined in his temper quickly and began to pace back and forth again. "Seifer, continue." Not really wanting to, now that he had been stopped, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, recollecting his place.

"After you guys escaped… Ultimecia figured it was my fault again. She said she could only give me so many chances… Anyway, she put me in charge of Galbadia Garden, and Raijin and Fujin were in charge of looking for Ellone. She never really explained that to me… Anyway, I'd figured that Garden had been destroyed by the missals, but when it pulled up next to Balamb, we knew we were in trouble. Ultimecia had us prepare for battle.

"Once Leonhart and his little dream team," Seifer said with a sneer, "made it into Galbadia Garden, we squared off again. I got my ass kicked, again, and they really took it out of Edea's body. So, since Edea got weak after the attack, Ultimecia made her pass her powers to Rinoa, and she transferred to her body. I was… surprised. I left while I still could, but I really couldn't believe it. Ultimecia gave me her orders… to get Lunatic Pandora out of the ocean." He didn't mention that Ultimecia in Rinoa's body had given him a light kiss on the lips… Even he didn't want to remember that.

However, from Squall's glare, Seifer had a feeling that he'd seen it… If he'd been in the mood, Seifer would have given them a sheepish grin. Laguna was staring up at the young man, almost with a horrified expression. He couldn't blame him…. For Laguna, everything was tying together for the first time.

"So, anyway, I set some of the soldiers on the job. They found old controls, which I used to pull it out of the ocean. And then we began setting up base. It was really a mass of confusion after that… I knew Ultimecia was still really angry at me. I sort of got fi- retired." He was beginning to falter now; this was the very embarrassing part. "She didn't know I had retired… but she'd suggested some things before she was possessing Rinoa. Saying I wasn't good enough, that I was a disgrace. I decided I'd try one last desperate attempt to regain favor… then maybe she'd see I could still be worth something. I decided that I would awaken Adel, give her the only other sorceress's powers, and make a powerful woman for Ultimecia to possess.

"At first, the plan failed. Raijin and Fujin really were injured, leaving me to watch over Ellone. We had kidnapped her so that once Adel awakened Ultimecia could speak with her. And yet again… Squall and the others came to ruin our plans. And yet again, I was defeated. I played a real… dirty trick, and I kidnapped Rinoa." Now for the very hard part. "She begged… pleaded. But when Squall showed up, my resolve hardened. I was trying so, so hard to be better than him… and as we can all see, I failed. The plan failed. I took off running.

"I hid out in Balamb for a while with Raijin and Fujin. I'd put them through so much… but they still stuck with me. I was happy…" He remembered his first happy smile, when Garden flew overhead and the first word that had sprung to mind was 'home'. "I traveled to the orphanage after a few months and I… well… I kind of wanted to say I was sorry. To everyone. I don't condone what I did at all, and I screwed up a lot of lives… but, I got arrested, and here I am."

With that lame finish to his story, Seifer turned and finally fully took in the looks of his company. Cid looked… almost remorseful, Laguna still looked… fairly shocked. Squall and Zell were both furious looking. The Galbadian… he kind of looked sad. Selphie was almost as angry-looking as Squall, and Rinoa merely looked fearful and confused. The last face he looked upon was Quistis… her eyes showed how angry she was at him, yet she just looked… horribly depressed.

"Seifer… you told your story as well as you could, I'm sure." Cid stood and shook his head. "However… I can't let you stay."

**CLIFFHANGER! BUM BUM BUMMM…**

**I bet this ended pretty lamely, huh… I'm as good a story teller as Seifer! Whoooooo… ADVENT CHILDREN FWEE! -dies- -cough- Anyway, I really, really, _really_ feel sorry that I killed your guys's spirits or something. I'll respond to the reviews I forgot down there. -whacks self- BAD GRIEVERWINGS.**

**Hey wait… I didn't forget any. Whoo, Grieverwings is losing her memory….**

**Anyway, I always figured that to be how Squall and Seifer reunited. A good sock on the nose. -ponders the pairing situation- And there I was trying to be all mysterious. I love Seifer/Quistis fics, mostly because a) there's a ton of evidence, b) he deserves somebody and she deserves somebody, and c) Seifer's got a good heart. He was the biggest ass in the game, and I was tossing pillows at the screen when the whole Adel thing came up, but… that smile at the end just GOT me, y'know? (has stolen Raijin's word).**

**Kitsu- Psh, you've got a great geography teacher then. Mine just sits in the back and plays with his pencils. -huggles Laguna- He's too awesome!**

**Hibeki- Laguna IS cool! -dies-**

**Ally-Kat772- Sorry, I've already drop-kicked the program… it doesn't help. :D SEE, that's my point. Everyone guessed the pairing and I was trying to be all mysterious! Phooey. Anyway, Yes, Laguna is hilarious. He's so cooooool.**

**Sir MIDNIGHT- POOP. Everyone knows the pairing. And thanks for the compliments, from all of you. I just loved Laguna in the game. Bouncing around, getting his stupid leg cramps, and making Squall go "Man, this dude's an idiot". Then it's BOOM "I'm your dad!" Squall's thinking: "…sired by an idiot…"**

**Dragon Princess Isis- -doofy grin- Yes, everyone guessed… and I hope this chapter was worth the annoyingly long wait. I hate writers block…**

**Alzheimer's Awaits**

**Grieverwings**


	6. Revelation

_-seriously cannot contain herself- I TOTALLY FOOLED YOU GUYS! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA -cough- YOU'LL SEE JUST CHECK IT OUT, I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF! -dies-_

**Coming Home**

Chapter 6: PSYCHE!

_Okay, I was kidding. Anyway! I'm really hyper. And I love cliffhangers now._

Chapter 6: Revelation

"You can't let me… stay?" Seifer rasped. Squall smiled in satisfaction as a mixed feeling went through the rest of the group. Unwilling to read the others faces, Seifer merely felt his heart drop several feet and turned. "Did you even… I… how can you…" he stuttered. Cid ran a hand through his hair and slumped slightly.

"That is my decision. I am… sorry…" Seifer watched the older man stand quickly, and begin to leave. Laguna's expression was that of utter confusion, unable to produce even a sound as he watched the headmaster approach the door with heavy, small, and slow footsteps. All eyes followed him, until he finally reached the door. Cid pulled it open, and turned to look at Seifer's disappointed and broken face.

"Wait, Headmaster," Zell said in a low voice. Cid froze just as he was about to let the door close behind him. "That's it?" he asked. The headmaster gave the teen a confused expression.

"Why are you not giving Seifer a chance?" Laguna asked in a dazed voice.

"He… told us his story. He does not fit the category of a SeeD, which I should have seen long ago," Cid stated briefly, turning to leave once more.

"Headmaster Cid, wasn't there someone who gave you a second chance?" Seifer jerked his head slightly to see… Quistis. Standing erect, holding her head high, and staring the man right in the face. She had hardly looked at Seifer at all the entire time he'd been talking, and now she was defending him. It blew his mind.

"Quistis?" Squall said, stunned at her quick and unexpected motion.

"If I am not mistaken, you ordered SeeD to kill your wife. Matron forgave you, didn't she? If your wife could forgive you for trying to assassinate her, then why can't you forgive him?"

"He didn't try to kill one person, he tried to kill all of us! Everyone!" Squall shouted. Finally, for the first time, Rinoa stood and looked Squall straight in the eye. Seifer stepped back slightly. This matter was entirely out of his hands now, and that worried him.

"Quistis is speaking her mind, Squall. We are all entitled to opinions on this matter, and I happen to stand with her." Seifer winced, only too aware that Squall looked as though he'd been betrayed a thousand times over. His eyes showed a deep hurt… Seifer watched as Squall shook the emotion away and turned to look at Headmaster Cid.

"Rinoa…" Selphie said quietly, coming to stand by her friend as tears began to sting at Rinoa's eyes.

"I do not condone what he has done, Squall," she said quietly. "None of us do. But I have seen enough of him to know that his heart is-"

"Heart?" Squall laughed mirthlessly, a cold tone that bit at Seifer's conscience like a viper. "Who says he has one? Rinoa…" here his voice took a lower tone, "…He tried to kill all of us. He tried to hurt you. …I just can't forgive him for that." Seifer downcast his eyes. To hear them talking as if he wasn't there peeved him slightly, but this was not of his concern. His future was on the line, and the fact that it was dangling between two people with completely different opinions worried him more than a little.

"…Squall…" Quistis said with a small smile. "We all know how you feel. But if you were to place yourself within his shoes, wouldn't you want a second chance?" Seifer couldn't help but try to see why Quistis was defending him like this… could it be that she had looked through the photo album and… Without his realizing it, he turned a dull shade of red and turned away, only half listening to the conversation and attempting to sort out his jumbling thoughts.

Why had he been as idiotic to leave that note in the first place? Maybe he'd been caught up in the moment, and since Ellone had forgiven him he automatically figured that everyone would. How stupid he had been. He now had a splitting headache, and a bright red face… the perfect day for the perfect person, he snorted to himself. As he continued to debate and argue with himself, he hadn't noticed that the others were now staring expectantly at him… and he wasn't about to anytime soon.

"Look… Headmaster Cid, I can't let you just turn him away like that," Quistis said quietly. Irvine gave her a quick glance, tipping his hat further over his eyes.

"What gave you the change of heart?" he asked quietly. Quistis's cheeks turned a bright pink, but Seifer was too preoccupied to notice. Still immersed in the argument with himself, he wasn't snapped out of it until four or five minutes later. Laguna placed a hand on his shoulder, startling him slightly.

"Seifer," he said quietly, "Would you mind giving us some privacy? You can wait in the hall… unless you want to go back to your jail cell?" Yeah, right, Seifer thought. He gave a polite nod, and the older man smiled brightly as he herded him through the door. "We'll be just a few minutes!" he said cheerfully.

"Sure, like, tomorrow soon," he muttered as the president pulled the door closed. Heaving a sigh, Seifer swept one hand through his hair and propped himself up against the door. He'd been making a lot of mistakes lately… first the whole sorceress business, and now this! Not only had he been stupid enough to get captured and thrown into prison, he'd been stupid enough to assume that everyone was going to forgive him right away. Of course, he thought, he now had a bruised face to prove that he'd been wrong too many times.

As he listened half-heartedly to the loud voices carrying on behind him, Seifer felt an odd wave of exhaustion sweep over him. "Odd…" he muttered to himself, rubbing his temple slightly. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't keep his eyes open… Shaking himself, he opened his eyes again and stared grumpily down the hallway while sleep continued to beat against his brain with the ferocity of a tomahawk. Finally, he gave up and let his eyes slide shut. He'd only sleep for a few minutes…

**All right, guys, I give up. I just totally give up. I've been trying to work on this chapter forever, but I can only get this far. I apologize for the lameness and the shortness, but I have completely forsaken this chapter. I'm trying so hard to make this story keep going, but writer's block has completely taken hold of my mind. Don't get me wrong, I'm gonna keep going since I have a lot of plans for this story. Just… don't expect it to be quick, okay? I'm really sorry, guys… anyway.**

**-bows- Forgive me! -cowers under desk-**

**Here's Hoping!**

**Grieverwings**

**Oh, yeah. Reviews.**

**Asga- XD I updated. Now I feel bad. At least you people have something to go on.**

**Kitsu- I know, really. XD Thanks for being a constant reviewer, by the way.**

**Dragon Princess Isis- Heh… well, I always figured him a bit differently.**

**Sir MIDNIGHT- Apparently I can't think of anything better. XD**

**Hibeki- Thank you very much! You guys supporting me makes me feel better.**

**Ally-Kat- Aw… my stories feel loved. -laughs-**

**-continues cowering- Please don't kill me!**

**Grieverwings**


	7. Lunatic Dreams and Confusion

_After that last… um… embarrassing endeavor, it's good to know that everyone still trusts me to not completely screw up my poor puppets- ah- characters. Yeah, characters. Anyway, in this chapter we meet one of the ultimate evils! Oh yeah, that's right, the villainess/villain who commits villainous acts of villainy! -cackles- I really had to work on that one. Anyway again, I hope you like this chapter and know that Seifer and Quistis will make decisions that shall forever impact their destinies! …Kind of._

_I think I'm hyped on Dirge of Cerberus commercials or something; normally I don't use all those big words. My tiny brain usually puts a limit on them._

**Coming Home**

Chapter 7: Lunatic Dreams and Confusion

A dead silence echoed about the empty halls of Lunatic Pandora. Having been once more cast into the seas, the monsters and beasts within had all been wiped out, and were replaced by a manner of fish sometimes drifting through. Since Time Compression had mixed several things up, Esthar was unsuccessful in locating the Sorceress Adel's body. The officials had figured that this was natural, considering that some sorceresses faded away upon death, having transferred their powers to an heir of sorts. With that, President Laguna had ordered the building to be once more cast into the sea, this time so deep that no one had any hopes of finding it. This day, like others, was calm and peaceful as the occasional fish swam lazily through its crystalline passages.

One such fish, not an average size as it was incredibly well-fed, had discovered the room of legends, where the sorceress that held a nation captive for years had met her end. A curious specimen, it swam close to the jutting tendrils that once were used as a shield to contain the awakening Adel. This room, though the fish had no knowledge of such, was currently being written into history textbooks as a sorceress's resting place and the very start of the short-lived Time Compression.

A deafening pop startled the fish into scurrying out of the room, terrified at the sight of a gigantic human being enclosed in what looked like a bubble. "What a pity," the human cooed. "This room could never be restored to its former glory. Lunatic Pandora," they said, running a long fingernail down one of the walls, "is not fitted for another rise. It must rot here… along with the pathetic fools who cast it down." The voice was cold, high-pitched and deadly as they moved to closely observe the platform in front of the broken shield. The person smiled devilishly, lifting their hand into the air. As the person moved, so did the platform below them; they thrust it into the wall, utterly destroying the foundation of the room.

"Seventeen long years have come to pass, but I shall still have my revenge. Esthar shall feel my wrath, and decompose at the bottom of the sea with my precious ally. For now, I will content myself with taking away once more what he holds dear." Staring sadly at the ceiling, the person cast one last look at their Lunatic Pandora before disappearing. However, their apparent leave didn't stop their voice from echoing about the now destroyed room. "Esthar and Loire… Seventeen years ago, you could defeat me using simple trickery. Older, yet more than likely not wiser, do you have any hopes for this war?" Cruel laughter flooded Lunatic Pandora and one young man's head as pale red eyes shone brightly within his consciousness. Hissing words broke through his dreams, drawn and cold enough to startle him from sleep. "Prove your loyalty. Come."

_-.-.-.-_

Seifer drummed his fingers on the floor, back in his accursed prison cell. One night, that was all, just one night he had to spend in here before they would let him go back to the only home he'd ever had. Laguna, being the kind man he was, had fought to get the ex-fugitive a hotel room but even Headmaster Cid thought that it was best for him to remain in the cell for a few more hours. After awakening from a fairly disturbing dream haunted with menacing shadows and devilish voices, Laguna had voiced the decision that they had, apparently, voted upon and debated considerably.

It was odd, he thought as he fiddled with the edge of his sleeves, that he had gotten back to Garden in the first place. He assumed that Laguna had played a part in assuring his return, and perhaps Headmaster Cid, though he doubted it after what he'd said earlier, but who else? All of them had reasons to hate him, so who in their right mind would stick up for him? Squall and Zell, due to their usage of obscene language, were obviously not the ones who had granted him return. The messenger girl, Selphie, had stared at him with such an intense hatred that he was practically positive that she would never even say a kind word to him. So then, he pondered, who was left?

The very thought of Rinoa voting for his redemption was sickening, after everything he had done he couldn't see her finding it within her large heart to forgive him. That only left the Galbadian, Irvine, and his former instructor… his instructor… That was the only thought that pained him more than Rinoa; he felt so incredibly stupid. Asking her that dratted question only made him feel a fool, and it was plain by the look on her face that she had never had any intention of accepting his mistakes.

Along with other things, they had discussed his itinerary at Garden and the accompanied returns of Raijin and Fujin, since they had, according to Squall, done nothing compared to what was on Seifer's head. From what Seifer had gathered, most of his classes would be taught by the newly-reformed Instructor Trepe, still a favorite around Garden. The Trepies must've been thrilled, he thought with a sneer. Funny… it had never bothered him before. Shaking off the feeling, he imagined what it would be like to spend hours on end with his childhood 'friend' every day. Vivid imagination gave him a subtle picture of him having his head smashed against the computer desks by said woman, causing him to chuckle a little. If Squall had his way that was exactly what would happen.

Finally, he remembered a slightly unpleasant part of the conversation regarding his living quarters. Due to his need to be monitored at all times so that he wouldn't pull anything funny, he's have to room with a high-ranking SeeD or an instructor for them to keep an eye on him. Doubtless, he thought, Raijin and Fujin would be given their old rooms if they were still available. Sighing sadly, he again squelched the frequent thought that if it wasn't for him, their reputations would be much better. "Just another thing I dragged through the mud," he muttered grumpily. Staring remorsefully at the lone pillow and thin blanket, he mentally prepared himself for a night on the clean yet freezing prison floor and was oblivious to footsteps echoing throughout the room until they were right behind him.

"Are you going to sit there forever or are you going to turn around?" Jumping a little, Seifer turned and stared up at the Galbadian… Irvine. He had a small smile on his face, something wound about one arm and a pillow tucked beneath the other. He stared up at the younger male, a frown slightly gracing his features. "…Well… uh… here," he said, holding out the pillow and a blanket.

"That's all you came in for?" Seifer asked, not reaching for the offered items. Setting them down on the floor, Irvine placed himself a fair distance away on the floor as well, leaning on one arm and staring right back at the ex-felon.

"Pretty much," he said. His voice, Seifer noticed, had a distinct tone to it that he had never heard before, a slightly drawling yet all together kind voice that didn't seem to be of his heritage. "Laguna was feeling bad that those things," he motioned to Seifer's previous bedding, "were all you had. So I volunteered to bring spares in." Busying himself under the pretense of making himself a suitable sleeping place, Seifer spread one blanket out onto the ground and set the pillows on top of it. He stared at the floor rather then look at the other human within his cell.

"…Why?" he asked quietly. "I tried to kill you." Irvine shrugged, standing up again with a small grunt and readjusting his hat.

"I remember… an instructor I liked from Garden a while back was never mean to me when I messed up, even though it happened a lot. He always said 'Everyone deserves another chance, whether it be their second or thirtieth.' He'd always change the second number, though, just to confuse me," he laughed. "I guess I took what he said to heart. 'Night." With that, Irvine walked briskly from the room, no doubt returning to wherever he was staying for the night until they were to make the journey back to Seifer's past. He blinked lightly, staring at where Irvine had phased through the wall with a bemused expression.

"…Another chance, eh?" he said quietly, lowering himself onto the makeshift bed with a grunt. Tentatively feeling his face, he was pleased to find that nothing was broken or sprained, just a little sore. It was the same with the back of his head, healed to the point where it didn't hurt to lay down anymore. He yanked the spare blanket up to his chin, warmth overtaking him almost immediately. Despite his short, interrupted nap earlier, Seifer was exhausted to the point of disbelief and his eyes slid easily shut. However, sleep didn't come half as easily since his head was filled with swirling thoughts of a pointy objects-wielding Quistis, a less-then happy Garden to see his return, and cold laughter echoing throughout the four corners of the earth.

_-.-.-.-_

Lying in bed yet staring into the ceiling, Quistis frowned wearily up at the useless fan blowing above her. The imminent prospect of doom lingered heavily on her conscience. She had no idea why she'd voted so stupidly over Seifer's return. Perhaps it had been the returned scrapbook and its add-ons, or maybe the look he had given her during his retelling of a soon-to-be legacy. Either way, her vote had determined his unwanted return.

The oddity of such a situation was that it mainly consisted of sink-or-swim, do-or-die choices. A combined effect composed of Squall's angry stare, Rinoa's frightened look, and Irvine's nonchalant attitude that had sent her into a panicked decision. It was, she thought with a scowl, one of the many selections she was most certainly regretting.

"Hey." Quistis peeked out from one hand dramatically lying on top of her forehead and saw Rinoa standing quietly, playing lightly with her necklace. Smiling a little, Quistis sat up again and patted an empty space on her bed, bidding her friend to come sit.

"Hey yourself. How's Squall taking everything?" she asked. Rinoa gingerly placed herself on the edge of the bunk, eyes downcast and sad.

"Not well. He seems to be blaming himself for everything, and I know that Laguna's tried to talk to him… but Squall doesn't seem to be listening to anyone lately. Not even me. It… worries me." Rinoa's lip trembled as she looked close to tears, clutching his ring with her right hand. Soothingly, Quistis laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be fine. Eventually, Squall will have to accept that Laguna made a mistake and then he'll be right back to his old self." Then again, she thought, no one wanted Squall back to his old self. Secluded, troublesome, and depressed was not how they wished to see their dear friend acting.

"And… what about Seifer?" Rinoa said nervously. "Did he make a mistake too? Will Squall ever be able to forgive him?" Quistis shifted a little, confused by the very same questions.

"Did… did you forgive him?" Her face broke out into a little smile, releasing her grip on the ring and laying her hand on the bed.

"Yeah. I know him. He's destructive, but he has a good heart. Maybe all he needs is someone else to understand him… maybe he-" A loud knock interrupted Rinoa as she gave a quick jolt. Sighing loudly, Quistis stood and made for the door, pulling it open a little to reveal Squall standing there looking anxious.

"Is… is Rinoa in there?" he asked, scuffling his shoes on the floor as inconspicuously as possible. With a kind look, she pulled the door open a little bit more and revealed the younger girl sitting on the bed, still attempting to hold back tears. The instructor averted her eyes as he stepped forward and enveloped his love in a tight hug, whispering unheard things into her ear. A brief word of thanks and a small Squall-ish smile later, Quistis closed her door behind the two and ran one hand through the small clump of hair at the very top of her head. It was good to know that she wasn't alone in supporting Seifer… but what she really wanted to know was why. Why had she chosen the way she did? Maybe, she mused as she flopped back onto her bed and resumed staring up at the ceiling fan, maybe she wasn't supposed to know. Not just yet.

_-.-.-.-_

With a sigh, Dizz ran a hand through his sparse hair and looked out into the far horizon over his favorite spot to fish. Keeping one hand on the fishing pole, he drummed his gnarled hands on the chain to a tune that only he could hear. Things had been quiet after the news had been broadcasted all over the world, something that brought hope to some and fear to others. Most people, he thought as he gave the fishing line a little jiggle, didn't want to be reminded of the war from some time back. However much they wished, it wouldn't go away. This had been proven when, just a few days ago, Esthar had released the news of a capture.

To tell the truth, Dizz had been shocked to see the young man he had spoken with imprisoned for being a national criminal, but then… it was his fault that he didn't pay as much attention as he should have. Seifer, while possessing a bit of an attitude, didn't seem like the kind to be a national criminal. Perhaps his eyes were failing him now that he had reached a ripe old age. Giving up on fishing for now, as the waters seemed to be fished dry anyway, he pulled the reel back and yanked the line out of the water. An unbelievably soft couch and the prospect of resting his tired feet awaited him at his small home on the edge of town, he thought as he shouldered the rod.

"I heard that he was originally caught right here, in FH!" a woman said excitedly as Dizz walked past. It wasn't out of the ordinary to see these two gossiping loudly on his way home every day, but today it wasn't just two. This day, the women were surrounded by at least ten other people from different points around town.

"Well, I heard that he and his accomplices terrorized Timber before they moved on to strike at the festival!"

"I recognized them!" one man called excitedly. "That albino and her dark friend were hanging around here not long back, searching for some girl with a legion of soldiers! They almost killed the mayor!" Tipping his head as he walked past, Dizz pondered the truths of their statements. Doubtless some of them were not true, since when he had seen him Seifer didn't look fit to hold a weapon, let alone terrorize a town. He looked too tired, too weary, and too strained. Furthermore, he had left for the train before anyone really had a chance to 'catch' him.

Having been so immersed in his thoughts, the old man didn't snap back to earth until he felt his nose gently collide with a door. A sigh rattled his brittle bones as he pushed open the door and set his rod down by the door. No one in FH locked their doors; it was unheard of since things rarely ever happened in this town. Reaching out to flick on the light, Dizz was startled to feel something grip his wrist. Almost instantly his army days came into play as he whirled around to reach for a weapon, obviously a lot faster than he looked. Even so, he felt the being grab his other wrist and yank them behind his back, a dangerous yet all too familiar voice hissing into his ear. "Remember me?"

**HAH-HAH, CHECK ME OUT! -waves around Auron action figure- I love anime conventions! -squishes it to death- XD I'm so lame. BUT IT'S SO COOL! -steals sword and pokes little brother with it-**

**Ahem, anyway… XD I'm a little loopy. I finally have a legitimate excuse for lateness (school. BLECH) but I promise to never be as late with chapters again! Never ever! Pinky swear, even! -sticks out pinky- I hope you guys REALLY liked this chapter, cause I worked so hard on it! I think I'm getting back into the swing of things, yippee! Reviews and then I shall sit back and feel proud of myself for my deviant deviousness.**

**Kitsu- Ahaha -dances around in circle- Thanks for understanding! And look! Longer, less sucky chapter! XD Thanks for sticking with me. I mean, you made it through the turmoil of Fantasy West… by now you can probably handle everything I throw out there.**

**Crystalight- Aw, thanks.**

**Dragon Princess Isis- XD Methinks it's gone for the time being. On this story, anyway.**

**Sir MIDNIGHT- "Confidence was not misplaced"… My God, I've been touched. XD Thanks for being a constant supporter.**

**Hibeki- -grins- Hope this was soon enough! Shorter then last time, anyway…**

**You guys rule! Really, you do!**

**Grieverwings**


	8. The Ragnarok

_Heh, good to know I'm loved, I guess. Everyone's been uber-sweet to me about this story and for that, you have my deepest thanks. Special shout-out to my constant reviewers who've stuck with me since the very beginning a little over a year ago (man, a whole freaking YEAR) and then I suppose we must move on with the newest chapter! Ladies and gentlemen, I have the Coming Home mojo back! Cute little moogle plushies for everyone! -tosses them to people with a happy smile- Enjoy!_

**Coming Home**

Chapter 8: The Ragnarok

Seifer drummed his fingers against the metal-plated wall, staring at the locked door with a frown. Over the course of his life, Seifer had been degraded, humiliated, and shamed more then once each, though he was positive nothing could compare to this. Prepared for a long trip back to Garden (currently stationed near Deling), Squall had made it perfectly clear that he was to be placed in a side-room. The room itself was smaller then the prison cell Seifer had called home for some time, and looked as though it was meant to house a chocobo. All was quiet save for the roar of the engine as the Ragnarok prepared for takeoff, and Seifer was sitting on the very edge of an empty water trough.

His relatively humbling settings were only a small irritant to Seifer, who felt better knowing that Raijin and Fujin were being treated normally and had the privilege to stay up in the bridge with the others. However, his relief at not having completely ruined his follower's lives was diminished by the nagging thought relentlessly attacking the back of his mind: no one would be willing to accept him. Honestly, he'd be surprised if several members of Garden didn't attack him straight away. He could just see countless students jumping on top of him, setting his clothes ablaze with spells or knocking him into the air with Guardian Forces.

Before throwing him unceremoniously into the room, Zell had angrily stated that Garden was breaking several of its own rules by merely allowing him to set foot on the premises, that he was lucky they didn't make him walk, and such things. The part that really made his heart twinge, though he'd never willingly admit it, was seeing his 'posse's' sad faces as they watched him be pushed into the stable. In all honesty, he had never done anything to deserve such amazing friends and yet they stuck to him like glue. It was, he supposed, one of the mysteries of the world.

Sliding off of the trough and onto the cold, metal floor, Seifer closed his eyes gently and leaned back to rest against the wall, overcome with the humongous burden that seemed to have wormed its way into his heart. Everything that had happened lately did everything but his original intentions: they bemused, astounded, and backfired on him until the weight he was supposed to be shedding sank deeper into his conscience. What had originally been a simple quest for forgiveness from one person, and he still had no idea why he'd been so driven to return what he'd found, was now, it was a full-scale redemption plan in which he was to be molded into a perfect example of SeeD, just like Squall or one of the other top ranking soldiers. Quite frankly, Seifer rather liked the way he was now. _That's a lie,_ he thought. _If I liked the way I was now, I wouldn't be in this mess._

The rumbling of the engine threw off his chain of thought, as the airship was probably rising into the air. What he wouldn't give, he thought as he stared grumpily up at the walls, what he wouldn't give for some windows. The sight of clouds and the ground rushing by at incredible speeds, funnily enough, had calmed him for as long as he could remember. _I wonder if Rai and Fuu are watching the clouds right now?_ Shaking himself, he stood and paced back and forth, enough room for only three steps before he had to change direction. They were all he could think about lately, he mused to himself. Raijin, Fujin, and…

A sudden surge of speed knocked Seifer to his rear end in the pile of hay nearby, leaving him to sigh and sink lower into his makeshift seat. While not the best material for relaxation, it was better then the floor. Could they really keep him in there for hours on end? Having stowed his things, including his gunblade, in the personal area they used for such things and left him with only the clothes on his back, he was guaranteed to be bored before the hour was up. Then again… he wasn't on a pleasure cruise. Examining the metal structure of the wall, his thoughts shifted to the sleepless night he'd had before. Technically, it hadn't been entierly sleepless but the hour or two he actually got in were ridden with dreams. The dreams themselves were confusing, sometimes embarrassing, and in a word strange; they switched topics rapidly and often mimicked the dream with the red, red eyes and the strange bidding they had made. The only part he could truly remember, piece for piece, was the strangest of all. All he could hear was a woman screaming, all he could smell was blood and fear, and all he could see was a figure with their head hung in shame.

Seifer caught the sound of a keypad being pushed, then the metallic whirring that he'd been painfully aware of when Zell had locked him within this miniature hovel. Opening one eye yet not bothering to rise from the hay, he stared expressionlessly at the door and waited for someone to come barging in blaming him for something else. However, he was surprised to hear boots clicking as Quistis herself confidently strode in and looked down at him. The instant their eyes locked she seemed to withdraw a little, putting on the shield of ice around her heart. At the same moment, Seifer hid behind a veil of fire and pure anger, much like how he was not so long ago as a confident yet disrespectful SeeD hopeful. Since he was returning to school, they returned to how they regarded each other before the sorceress epidemic: with bitterness, false sincerity and disdain.

"Something you want, Instructor?" he sneered, her title being used as an attack rather than its intended meaning. He noticed that her glasses were missing, and she looked somewhat different from the last he'd paid attention. It was strange how much more he saw when he was the one sitting down and she the one towering over him.

"I wanted to speak with you," she said, a tremor in her voice. From what was uncertain, even to her. She resisted the urge to fidget or twist her hands together, instead clenching them into fists. Why was she so nervous?

"Does it look like I'm busy?" Without another word, he shifted position and stood, dusting off his precious cloak. He smirked, for some reason pleased that his former teacher had to tilt her head to look at him properly. "Lead the way," he shrugged, leaning against the doorway and mockingly bowing her out. Glowering at him, she slid past him out of the room and walked through the hallways with nary a backwards glance to make sure he was following. Of course, nothing else to do had entered his mind so he stepped after her, long strides making it easy to catch up with her quickly. Eventually, they arrived in a narrow room filled with seats and windows. While attempting not to show eagerness, Seifer moved to the window and peered out at the ocean far beneath them. They were gliding quickly, as seen by the rush of clouds and the sound one heard if you pressed your ear to the glass. Standing beside him, Quistis needlessly tucked one of her long bangs behind her ear and rested upon the bar underneath the window.

"I wanted a chance to talk to you in private… without the others breathing down my neck," she explained half-heartedly. "It's only fair to the both of us if there's no one else shouting things at us while we're trying to talk." Seifer nodded a little, the cold of the metal through his gloves contrasting sharply with the heat he was beginning to feel in his cheeks. He felt like an absolute idiot; there was no reason for him to be acting like this.

"So… no one else knows that you let me out?" he asked mildly, trying not to put too much emotion into the question. Quistis shook her head, looking almost guilty. The guilt vanished as she gave a half-grin, a sort of devious glint behind her eye.

"They think I'm keeping watch." Ignoring the humiliating fact that they felt it necessary to post sentries outside his door, Seifer jerked his head in compliance and pressed his forehead against the glass. Why couldn't she get to the shouting and screaming yet? Even if she were to bash him with the metal bars they were now leaning on he was sure it wouldn't be half as bad as merely waiting for her to say something. Eventually, Quistis sighed and turned to him with a small sigh. "Look, Seifer…"

"All right, I get it," he interrupted. "I'm a failure, a loser, a coward, pretty much everything else you want to say. Leaving you the note and giving you back the scrapbook was stupid, and I know that all of you hate my guts, so why did I even bother?" Frowning against the glass, he pulled away and turned his back on her. "There, I said it for you. Can I just go back to my little hole now?" Blinking back surprise, Quistis shook her head wildly before realizing that he couldn't see her.

"That's not it at all," she said quietly, taking a small step towards him and laying her hand on his shoulder gingerly. He seized up so suddenly that she pulled her hand back as if burned, reverting to her original position and staring out at the passing skies. "I wanted… oh, I don't know what to say," she cursed desperately, slapping the glass with her palm. "I got the scrapbook from Ellone, you know," she said, apparently changing the subject. "She hardly said a word about who gave it to her, she just gave it to me and told me to look at it later. I was curious, and when I read the note… I was touched. I don't know what you did to get it to me, but… I think what I really want to say is thank-"

"So there you are." Whirling around, she was surprised to see Squall leaning against the doorframe, his face as dark as a storm. "We were worried when Selphie came to relieve your post. Finding you gone and the door open wasn't exactly the best thing for our nerves."

"Squall, look, I wanted to talk with Seifer on my own, since I feel I have the right."

"The right?" he said mockingly. "If anything, all he has is the right to remain silent. That, and just because you've reclaimed your teaching status doesn't mean that you can do whatever you like."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child!" she angrily retorted. "Last I checked I'm a good year older than you, and I was your instructor for years! I've known you since we were both little, and I figure that by now you'd understand why I do the things I do!" Shaking his head, Squall shot a glare at Seifer before turning around.

"Take him back to the hold," he stated simply. By now, Seifer was bemused to see the people with the coolest heads he knew in a horrible rage. Eyes following the argument as one would a tennis match, he staggered lightly as Quistis pushed past him and followed Squall out the door.

"Oh, no, you're going to listen to me, Mr. Leonhart!" she growled, shaking her finger. Shock and repressed humor was clearly written on Seifer's face as he turned back to the window. Apparently, they'd forgotten he was there. He sighed deeply, running one hand through his hair. Did everything have to be turned into such a big deal these days? What he wouldn't give for the days before he'd made so many stupid decisions… He'd do it all over again, quick as a heartbeat. No more lies about a silly dream, no more list, no more anger… though, the more he thought about it, the less he found it likely that people would have accepted him either way, good or bad.

_-.-.-_

"Why don't you speak, old friend?" the man asked mockingly, circling his prisoner like a vulture would his prey. "We have so much to catch up on." The room was pitch black, save for a few candles that cast menacing shadows on faces. In the center of the room was Dizz himself, sitting proudly even though he was tied to a relatively uncomfortable chair.

"I thought you dropped off the face of the Earth," he spat. "We wiped your traitorous kind away in the last war."

"Seventeen years ago, I looked up to you as a leader, and a friend. When I went to the other- no, the right side- that admiration didn't die, until you captured me and tortured 'her' location out of me. The Highest wasn't very pleased." Looking up at his captor in disgust, Dizz spat on the floor by his boot as a curse.

"Is that her new self-appointed title? First ruler, now 'Highest'? Rather inappropriate for one who was imprisoned for so long."

"On the contrary. Did she not spend seventeen years looking down on us from her perch in the heavens?" he grinned.

"You're insane!" Dizz cried, strong voice echoing throughout the room. Running one finger along the back of the chair, the man pulled out a knife and smiled evilly at his former mentor.

"Perhaps. Still, despite my… undying loyalty to the Highest," he said, elaborately gesturing with the knife and malevolently pulling his thumb along its blade, "I have yet to be deemed worthy of becoming her knight. She feels that another, less competent one holds the key." Flipping his knife into the air, he caught it again and pointed it at Dizz. "You know him. He has much power, yet an inability to use it. Time and time again, he falls through. In fact, the only time that something worked in the slightest was his attempt to return our Highest to her former power. Needless to say, he failed again, and the coward fled."

"Why are you telling me this?" Dizz shouted. "I don't know anyone like that!"

"Don't play stupid with me, old man! We have more informers than you could guess!" he hissed. "You and I both know a young Seifer Almasy was given your address, correct?" Taking Dizz's silence for a yes, he smirked and with a rapid motion stuck his knife into the wooden leg of the chair. "Were you given his?" he asked in a low voice, before scoffing. "It doesn't matter anyway. We can find out."

"Len, please. Think about what you're doing!" he pleaded desperately. "If you ever valued your life, or anyone else's life, for Hyne's sakes stop!" Len smirked, obviously enjoying the feeling of power he had.

"Stop? Why, sergeant, why would I ever do that?"

"You'll destroy humanity! Everything we know and take for granted each day will be gone in a flash!" In another instant, Len had the knife again and pressed it against his prisoner's throat.

"You're going to inform me of everything you know about this boy and your pathetic town. Don't ask me 'why should I'," he interrupted as Dizz opened his mouth, "I'm sure you know exactly why." Pulling the blade away, he held out one arm and pulled down the sleeve. All over his arm, up, down, and in every direction imaginable was a series of deep, red scars. "The human body is a fragile thing, isn't it?" he said quietly, tracing a few of the scars with the knife. "I'm sure it's one thing when you're sitting at the controls, with a button or a lever to determine a person's fate. One little slip of the hand," he gestured such a motion, "and a person could be dead. Now, you're at the mercies of my knife. One little slip of _my_ hand, and you could find yourself the victim of a tragic accident." A frightening smirk later, and the knife was back at his throat. "I'm listening."

_-.-.-.-_

Eventually, Quistis managed to drag Squall into a hallway and slam him against the wall. He looked as stoic and unfeeling as ever, though his eyes gave away the surprise at his former Instructor's ferocity. "Listen, you!" she growled. "I'm getting tired of being treated like a little girl! I can do what I want and trust who I want, and I don't have to listen to anyone about it!"

"So, where does that put Headmaster Cid?" he said mockingly, brushing her hands off his chest.

"I said I don't have to listen, if I want to keep my job I… oh, shut up! I just… I just…" With a sniff, she slid down the wall and buried her face in her knees. "I just don't know any more. This is why they fired me, I know it."

"That, and an inability to not play favorites." She pulled her head out of her arms and shot him a glare before falling limply back into her old position.

"You may be right, but don't joke anymore. It doesn't fit you." Squall chuckled a little, leaning in his trademark way against the wall next to her.

"Look, Quis, I'm sorry if I leapt on you when I saw you talking to… him. I never meant to say anything that would hurt you. I just… you know how I feel about him. No matter what happens, I'll never trust him."

"Then trust me!" she said, standing up quickly. "I don't exactly know how or why, but it seems like he's… changed. He barely fought back every time you shot something at him, when he normally would've leapt out of his seat and beat the snot out of you."

"Oh, thanks," Squall said sarcastically. She slapped his shoulder jokingly, smiling a little.

"Please, Squall. I'll take responsibility for him, I swear it!" He raised an eyebrow, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"What provoked you to say that?" he asked, still looking relatively surprised. A reddish tinge flew to her cheeks as she considered what to say, as she wasn't too sure herself. Scratching the back of her neck, she sheepishly averted her eyes and played with her belt before coming up with a proper answer.

"…Call it payback," she said quietly. Nodding, Squall started to walk out before turning and staring back at her.

"Well, Instructor Trepe, he's in your hands now. Do us a favor, and don't drop him." Snickering a little, she pushed her way past him and taunted him by wagging her finger in his face.

"I told you to keep off the jokes. Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?" Laughing for the first time since the Flower Festival, he shook his head and made his way back to the bridge.

"I'll keep it in mind, thanks." With that, he left her alone in the hallway, alone with her thoughts and the hope that she'd made the right decision.

…**Man, if that wasn't a lame ending I don't know what was. XD I swear, though, everything said will (at one point) play an essential part in the plot, so all that Squall & Quistis bonding will make sense eventually. And has anyone else noticed how much fun it is to create evil characters? I mean, like… writing all those creepy threats and stuff that Len said (not short for Lenny or whatever, short for something else) was SO much fun it's unbelievable. I was practically sitting there in my eighth period cackling to myself as I wrote. If that wasn't it, then the girl next to me was staring at me for no reason.**

**And yes, Dizz IS going to play some important role; he isn't just some strange old man I stuck in there for the hell of it. Though, really, strange old men who play no real importance have always been fun. Anyone else remember the old fisherman who keeps getting attacked by the kid and his demon fishing line? Reviews and stuff… then I have to get started on the next chapter. I work hard for you people, appreciate me! XD Just kidding… sort of.**

**Hibeki- SHHHHH, keep it down! You want the soldier people to hear? -looks shiftily about- XD I'm not confirming what you said, though, since I'm keeping it a sort-of surprise!**

**Asga- Updated!**

**Sir MIDNIGHT- Really, you're going to inflate my already-swelled head. XD Thanks again, again, again, however many times you've reviewed thus far. I can't count past …three. -snicker-**

**Dragon Princess Isis- Aw, thanks! I appreciate it!**

**Verdanii- XD Good to hear from you again! And yes, you're right, he is 45. Told you I can't count. Or multiply. Or subtract. Or any of that stuff you need to get through school properly.**

**Well… I guess it's goodbye until next I write! See ya!**

_**Grieverwings**_


	9. A Welcome Return?

_Kay, people, let's get this straight. I am NOT trying to form a legion of Squall-haters or something. I mean, I guess it's good that I'm portraying the character well enough for you to hate him (…wow… who knew that was possible?) but come on! He's got a very good reason to hate Seifer's guts, and Seifer knows it. I mean… count how many times he tried to kill him (and include the opening scene. I swear, he was aiming for his neck and he missed a little.) and the others, y'know? …I just did a Raijin…_

_Anyway, please, please, please don't take it so seriously! It startled me when I got such a unanimous response of people going "you made me hate Squall!" since that is TOTALLY not what I was going for. I love the idea of Seifer and Squall someday becoming really good friends, so I don't want anyone to form, like, a "Grieverwings Made Me Hate Squall" club. There. My worries. Puh-LEASE take them into consideration and know that I write everything I do for a reason. …Y'see, this is why I'd never cut it as a real writer. The instant I hear/see someone make a comment about my story I'll instantly wish to speak with them and give them my whole opinion on the thing just to set the record straight._

**Coming Home**

Chapter 9: A Welcome Return…?

"I can't believe it, they brought him back!" "As if the Disciplinary Committee wasn't bad enough!" "Did he forget that we fought him AND Galbadia Garden?" "What do you think he's playing at?" "Who knew he had the guts to actually come back." Echoes and whispers followed Seifer as he stalked the noisy streets of Deling with Balamb's star SeeDs forming a protective circle around him. After the Ragnarok had landed a fair distance from the city, they had walked for some time and were, though the soldiers guarding the gate raised eyebrows, quickly granted access into the town. It was, he expected, because they had the prestigious Headmaster Cid at their side. However, once inside the city an overly exuberant woman recognized the former knight and tackled him to the ground. A blackened eye and several nasty bruises later, the woman was dragged away.

Even so, the hateful looks he was getting were more painful than the throbbing pain in his left arm. Several Garden students were standing on sidewalks, or by stores and in front of buildings. Seifer tried his hardest not to look at them, but when he did it tore him worse then the others. Some looked surprised, some looked shocked, but the majority of them looked angry. Angry, and scared.

"Do you see the way they're looking at him?" Quistis whispered to Irvine. "Most of these people probably want him dead."

"I wouldn't be surprised," he shrugged. "Look at Zell." A few feet ahead of them, Zell was kicking pebbles up the street, his face a bright reddish-purple. This usually meant he was having bowel problems or he was repressing anger.

"Am I the only… does everyone hate Seifer but me?" she asked, rather glad that he was out of earshot. Again, Irvine shrugged.

"I don't know him as well as the rest of you do-"

"Oh, be honest. You remember our childhoods more then we do, so you know more about him then you let on." He laughed a little, brushing at his trench coat with one hand as the other slung his gun over his shoulder.

"Fine then. I don't hate him, but his actions didn't surprise me. He's always been inclined to bullying, so he took the side of a country that's been bullying people for years. Think about Timber." Quistis nodded, casting a glance in her other friends' directions.

"How does… Selphie feel about it?"

"She's never said, but she gets really scary when she's mad so he'd better stay on her good side. Why're you asking me, anyway?" She flushed a little, casting a quick glance in Squall's direction.

"I… I'm trying to see if we made the right decision in bringing him back. Is it the right thing to do? Will Garden suffer because of my actions?" There was a stagnant quiet in the air for a while, each having nothing to say.

"So, like…" he said finally, "are you worried about Garden… and Seifer?"

"…Yes, I suppose I am." Eyes downcast, she pulled her gloves further up her arm. Studying her face, Irvine frowned though at twinkling smile lay behind his eyes.

"You're hiding something."

"What?" she gasped, instantly thinking of the scrapbook tucked along with her belongings.

"I knew it," he said seriously, smile pulling at the corners of his lips. "What could you possibly be hiding from me? Aren't girls normally fond of spilling everything about themselves and all that crap to their friends? I do consider myself an expert on the female species, you know." Mockingly shaking her head, she patted his arm.

"For one, when have you ever known me to actually do that? For another, who said you were my friend?" Irvine laughed, loudly this time and jokingly bowed.

"Quick wit and a sharp tongue! Now that's the Quistis we know and love." As she laughed, Quistis happened to look ahead to see if Garden looked any closer (it didn't) and her eyes met Seifer's. He was stock still, face dark as a storm but his eyes looked sad. Before she could inspect further, or ask what was wrong, she heard a loud shriek from behind and he quickly turned away. Whirling around, she was met with the sight of Raijin hopping up and down on one foot and crying in pain.

"I just said that it was getting too- ouch!" Raijin cried.

"WIMP!" Fujin shrieked. Giggling, Selphie took the shouts as a distraction and pulled Irvine's hat off, sticking it on Squall's head.

"Stud!" she crowed, jamming it firmly on his head so it would take a lot of effort to pull it off. As he started and looked up in confusion, even Zell laughed uproariously from the look on his face. Smiling happily, Rinoa took his arm and pecked him on the cheek, to Irvine's extreme amusement. As his face turned bright pink and he sputtered incoherently, Headmaster Cid joined in the laughter. The only one who was silent was Seifer, standing off on his own and staring at the ground, buildings, the darkened sky, anywhere but his Instructor. Pain and self-hatred continued to gnaw at his heart, increased since he'd watched her smile and laugh. It was something seldom seen to him, since when he was her official student he'd never seen it. Then again… that was a lie. He'd seen it; she smiled at star pupils, and at instructors, and at Squall. Now that he thought about it… it was Seifer that she had never truly smiled at.

_-.-.-.-.-.-_

"You've got to be kidding me!" Quistis shouted angrily. "I said I would take responsibility, but I didn't mean this!"

"You what?" Seifer bemusedly questioned, still stunned. The moment they had set foot in Garden, Seifer was overcome by a wave of longing and hope, like everything would be put right again just by his stepping inside. He was home, for the first time in ages, he felt like he belonged again. Of course, this was put out rather quickly when he caught glimpses of people's faces. They were rather identical to the ones he'd seen in town, and one young girl even hid behind an older student's pant leg. Avoiding any potential situations like the one earlier (his eye was _really_ smarting now), they headed up to Headmaster Cid's office and were now gathered around a desk he'd placed since his office was quite basically ruined after Garden turned into a ship. Cid was giving Seifer last-minute instructions and attempted to, at the very last second, throw out where he was going to be staying and tried to usher them out of his room. Seifer and his new roommate were not amused. "There is no way I'm going to stay with her!"

"Excuse me, what's that supposed to mean?" she shouted at him. Raising his hands for peace and quiet, Cid sat behind his desk again with a sigh.

"Now you see why I was trying to avoid this. I didn't choose this, mind you, so you can stop shooting angry looks at me, Mr. Almasy," he said sharply. Seifer instantly averted his gaze. "Before you start shooting a volley of questions at me that sound rather like 'who DID then', it was Squall." Everyone's mouths dropped open; it would've been comical if Seifer didn't look as though he was ready to kill someone.

"You're kidding me!" Zell shouted incredulously. "No way… you didn't, man, did you? Please say you didn't!" Shaking his head, Squall looked malevolently at the floor.

"…I did."

"But… why?" Rinoa asked, shaking her head. He gestured at Quistis, still staring at the floor.

"Quistis herself said she would be willing to assume responsibility for him." Seifer shot an angry look in her direction. "Besides, she has a spare room and as far as I know the rest of us don't. Although it isn't the… the best idea, I trust Quistis whole-heartedly."

"The best idea?" Seifer repeated, voice cracking slightly. "So, I'm just being handed to her like an old pair of socks? Just because no one else would take them?"

"Seifer," Cid began, shaking his head.

"I'm not some child who needs to be watched all the time! I can take care of myself, and I can keep out of trouble on my own too!"

"Dude!" Zell shouted, waving a hand. "If you hadn't noticed, no one trusts you! You _do_ need to be watched all the time!"

"Did you already forget your 'public enemy No. 1 status? We couldn't trust you if we wanted to!" Squall snapped.

"Isn't it possible to make a mistake?" he weakly defended, feeling his self-control crumbling away.

"Mistake?" Zell sneered. "You enjoyed every minute of it." Realizing the truth of this statement, Seifer's anger evaporated and he examined the wood of Cid's desk. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was right… and he felt the absolute extreme of self-disgust.

"You're all acting childish," Cid snapped. "We brought him back to give him a second chance, not as a substitute for prison. However, keep in mind that you'll have to earn back your privileges, including having your own dorm." Cowed, Seifer nodded and cast a side-glance at Squall. He looked somber, yet there were still traces of fury etched into his face. "Your friends still have a valid chance to make SeeD, if they so desire. As I'm sure Zell has made clear to you multiple times, I'll only say it once. We are bending the rules as it is to allow you into Garden once more. You will take one semester, which starts officially tomorrow; if you feel ready you can take the exam in January. If not, you can wait until June at the end of a full year here. Keep in mind, though, that if you fail the exam or don't take it at all you will leave the school without complaint. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Cid's eyes showed no trace of the thin smile he wore; they looked at him with a cool seriousness that slightly worried him.

"You're fighting the odds, Seifer. They're all against you, as will most of your fellow students will be. Despite what others may think, I'm sure you can do it. I have faith in you. Mr. Almasy… good luck." With that, he shooed them from his office with a real smile. Blinking back surprise, Seifer turned to Quistis and shrugged.

"Going to show me the way?" he asked. She jumped a little, nodding quickly and heading for the elevator, leaving the others behind. Selphie and Rinoa watched nervously, Squall and Zell were looking anywhere but, and Irvine seemed as nonchalant as ever. He followed her, casting a last glance at the group (which was reciprocated with two identical glares) and contemplating the headmaster's strange words. Perhaps he was being honest about rooting for him, maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he was… but, judging by the look on the others' faces, maybe he wasn't.

_-.-.-.-.-_

"My patience is wearing thin, old friend. Something is telling me that you haven't been so truthful." It had been some time now that Dizz was tied to that chair, and a faint hunger was beginning to gnaw at him. However, the ache was nothing compared to biting pain in his left leg, which had been acting up since his imprisonment. His doctor had said, countless times, that if he didn't make a point of moving it around often the arthritis would get to it eventually. It creaked when he moved it even slightly, so he tried not to aggravate it more then necessary.

"Why would I lie, Len? You're the one who holds the power; lying has no benefits for me." Len's smile grew, a wolfish smile that bared oddly pointed teeth.

"You're right. However, your adamant silence is beginning to annoy me. When I'm annoyed, I get angry, and when I get angry the Highest gets angry. I also must warn you, when I'm angry I don't think with this," he said, pointing at his head, "I think with this." He brandished the knife and waved it back and forth before Dizz's throat. "You're lucky," Len grimaced, putting it back into his belt.

"How so?" Dizz asked disbelievingly.

"You're lucky that it's me you've got. There are others who are much more ruthless in torture. Take your little friend for example," he sneered.

"Who… Seifer?" he laughed. "I doubt that. He didn't have the strength enough to lift a blade, let alone use it." Mockingly laughing and shaking his head, Len ran one hand along a wall, almost as though he was tracing the outline of a human body.

"Before you met him. When he served the other sorceress, he captured, oh, four or five people. One was let go, but the others… he had special plans for them. He took one boy, almost as old as he was, chained him to the wall, and…" He put his arms out and leaned against the wall. "The boy was electrocuted. Badly enough to make him bleed." Dizz stared into the darkness, shocked into silence but not showing any emotion on his face. "Even if he ended up being foiled, again, he was going to torture three others as well: another young man, and two girls." Laughing menacingly, he dropped his arms and resumed his vulture-like circling around the chair. "Can you imagine it? He must've been bitterly disappointed when they escaped; there's no better thrill then to see someone bent into submission."

"You're insane," Dizz spat, filled with utter disgust.

"That gets old, you know, you've already said it at least six times. Anyway, despite what you think, I know his type: cold-blooded, ruthless, and even after failure they refuse to give in. Even if I could serve her Highest better than he, I see why he was chosen. Still, her Highest deserves action and success, not attempts and failures. No matter how much he may have enjoyed his taste of power, he will never be the same after he is filled with the power of the Almighty Sorceress. It is the most… unbelievable high-point, and those who are lucky never come back down. I, for instance, have yet to see a flaw in her wonderful plans.

"For the boy to become ours we need your assistance, which you will give willingly. The Highest won't see a problem if you're missing an arm from disobedience, as long as you take your roll in this little play. Actors must perform their rolls to the utmost perfection, otherwise the skit is flawed and thus ruined. You, my dear old friend, have the honor of a major roll, so I wouldn't spoil it. After all… that's what an understudy is for: if an actor becomes unable to play the part, they are disposed of and another takes over. I'm sure you wouldn't want us to resort to that."

"I'm sure he's smart enough to keep away from the likes of you," Dizz snapped. "There's no way he would allow himself to be found, and besides, he's supposed to be in jail." As Len opened his mouth to respond, a strange light flooded through a rectangular opening in the wall as Dizz squinted against the blinding light. He hadn't thought of there being a door somewhere... no one had used it before.

"Sir Len," the man said, closing the door again, "I brought you and the prisoner food." Len waved it aside as he set the trays down on the table, one laden with all sorts of foods while the other had a small, crude bowl of water and a loaf of crusty bread.

"Yes, yes, any news from the research team?"

"Affirmative, sir," he said, saluting. The man was dressed in one of the strange Esthar uniforms from many years past, no one wore them since President Loire had taken over the country. "Informers from Deling and Esthar have confirmed that the Almasy boy has returned to Garden under the company of the headmaster and the ones who defeated her Highest long ago." Ghostly shadows were cast over Len's face as it brightened, obviously pleased at this news.

"Good… very good. Carry on, soldier." As the other man left, he turned to Dizz and gave that wolfish smile again, pure black hair falling into his face but not shielding the glare of his bright green eyes. "Now… what were you saying about allowing himself to be found?"

_-.-.-.-.-_

Quickly walking down the hallway, Quistis attempted to form a logical thought as she was dimly aware of her surroundings, only barely noticing the clicking footsteps behind her. If her ears hadn't been fooling her, she was now to share her large dorm room built especially for her after the whole sorceress incident with Seifer Almasy himself. It was true, she'd offered to take responsibility as a due payback for his returning of her scrapbook, but she'd never imagined something of this magnitude. Quite honestly, she just didn't know what to think. Finally, she reached the door labeled "Quistis Trepe" and pulled a keycard out of her pocket, sliding it through the receptive slot. Home sweet home, she thought to herself as the door slid open.

It was a quaint place, not very large but big enough for a person to live comfortably. There was a small kitchen off to one side that looked unused, it was so clean, and a small hallway led to three doors, one of which Seifer assumed was a bathroom door. In the main room there was also a couch and two wooden tables, one standing below a sort of shelf which had miscellaneous books and tapes placed on it, along with what looked like a spare pair of glasses. Dropping her bag that she'd taken with her on the Ragnarok onto the table, she nervously shifted her weight from foot to foot, obviously not knowing what to say. "…Pays to be a SeeD, eh?" Seifer said with a stab at light carelessness, though it failed miserably. Quistis shot him an unreadable glance and sighed, putting her head in one hand.

"…I guess… I guess I should show you where you're sleeping," she said, closing her eyes briefly and looking as though she was deep in thought. "To be honest, I don't know if this is a good idea or not… but I guess we'll have to make do." She sighed, leaning into the hallway and pointing at the door closest to them. "That's your room, and the next door down is the bathroom. Someone's going to bring your things tomorrow, Headmaster Cid has them for now. So… I suppose that's it." Going back to her pack and rifling through it, she kept her back to Seifer as he clasped his hands behind his back, examining her things from afar. "I'm going to go get something to eat… do you want something?" she asked, voice trembling from what she figured was nerves. He shook his head, before remembering that her back was turned.

"I'll be fine. Why don't you cook your own food?" he asked out of curiosity, eyeing the stove and refrigerator. Quistis flushed a little, pulling her hand out of the pack and zipping it closed again.

"…I can't cook, so it really doesn't do me any good to have a kitchen," she said, before walking to the door. "I'll be right back… just… don't touch anything, okay? You can go have a look at your room if you want." The door slid open as she approached and slid shut as she left again, as did the rest of the doors in Garden. Motion detectors were handy, he supposed. Ignoring the hallway, he moved to the shelf and peered closer at what it contained: old magazines, books as he had guessed, a stack or two of playing cards, and the occasional photograph. He picked one up, scrutinizing its contents, then sat it back down again.

"…So she actually does enjoy herself sometimes," he muttered half-jokingly. Beginning to take up her offer and move towards his new room, he stopped when he saw a tape with the words "Selphie and her Mad Taping Skills". Raising an eyebrow, he pulled it out and stared at the top; it said the same thing. Taking notice of the television in the corner, he turned it on and slid the tape into the VCR, gingerly sitting on the very edge of the couch. As the video started, he looked into the corner of the screen and read the date. Surprisingly, it dated back quite a while ago, probably after the sorceress war. A loud buzzing sound came from the screen, which turned out to be people talking loudly. Almost instantly, a very loud and very large Selphie appeared at the top of the screen, only upside-down.

"Hey, it's on!" she crowed, waving briefly as she pulled the screen upright again. Seifer watched as the tape rolled on, showing multiple students hanging around and talking loudly, looking as though they were really enjoying themselves. Groaning to himself, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and continued to watch.

"…It is after the war," he said to himself. "They're celebrating her… our defeat." Despite himself, he chuckled a few times at the sheer stupidity of some of the people's actions. As he watched, he began to forget that he was sitting in his former Instructor's room, staring at a tape. He felt like he was there, standing right beside Irvine, Selphie, and Quistis as Zell choked on his hot dogs, or when Headmaster Cid (obviously drunk) attempted to make logical conversation with his wife. Even so, the tape reached its end with a sign that flashed "low battery" as Rinoa pointed up at the sky for some reason. "That's it?" he said to himself, pressing the eject button and moving to put the tape back where it was. To his surprise, he ran straight into Quistis, who'd been standing over his shoulder for some time.

"That's it," she replied, plucking it from his fingers and placing it in its rightful spot. "What else did you go through while I was gone?" Frowning, Seifer eyed the shelf and shook his head.

"Nothing of importance. Besides, why so secretive, unless you're trying to hide something?" Narrowing her eyebrows, Quistis made for the kitchen table and sat down, pulling a salad towards her with ferocity and picking up a fork.

"You know, it's normally considered common courtesy to leave a person's belongings alone when they're not around," she growled, stabbing the lettuce with her fork. The peace he had felt while watching the video, alone with his thoughts, had evaporated and his temper began to quickly rise again.

"It's not like I was actually intending to destroy your stuff or anything! I just-"

"Just what?" she snapped back, pointing her salad-laden fork at him. "I should've guessed this would resurface; you've always had an inability to follow even the simplest instructions! Why can't you ever do what you're told? That's exactly why you failed the exam so many times, you just don't listen!" A look of pure surprise crossed his face as she clapped a hand to her mouth. "…Seifer, I didn't mean to-" Surprise was effaced and replaced with a look of pure fury.

"No, don't apologize! For once, you were honest to me! All those times you let me retake the test, was it just to see how many times I could screw up? Was I just some sort of show you and the staff took enjoyment in watching fail? Well, you saw it, but you'd better relish it while you can since I'm not about to give you that satisfaction again!" Ignoring the food on the table that sent stabs of hunger to his stomach, he stalked quickly to the room she'd indicated and threw open the door. She set her fork back down and closed her eyes, cursing herself as the sound of a door slamming echoed around the room.

"…Why did I say that?" she whispered, laying her head on the kitchen table and sighing. Inside the room, Seifer's anger turned to resentment, and then to disgust. Slowly dragging himself to the small bed, he sank onto it and clapped his hands over his ears as a desperate attempt to silence the little voice inside his head belittling him. She was right, it said, he would never make it past the exam and he would be labeled a complete and utter disgrace for the rest of his life. If he couldn't do as much as control his temper, how would he ever learn to accept authority, no matter what they said that he didn't like? Setting his arms in his lap, he ignored his hunger and felt a tear of utter anger and hatred of himself run down his nose. He wiped it away, all the more disgusted with himself for showing such a silly sign of emotion. Finally, he put his head in his hands and submitted to utter depression, ready for a long, sleepless night.

_Will I ever change?_

**Okay, don't you guys start hating Quistis now either. Or Zell, or anybody or I shall be forced to… to throw exploding muffins at you. I've never seen Quistis or Seifer to have very good tempers, as shown in the last chapter when she explodes on poor Squall. Besides, their emotions are in turmoil since they're not sure what to think of each other anymore and all their thoughts are being influenced by those around them. So, even if Seifer is utterly depressed, keep in mind that things WILL get better and I will eventually get to the actual Seifer/Quistis stuff, since once you've hit rock bottom the only way to go is up, and they have to get used to each other first.**

**Other then that, I think this is one of my longest chapters in… like… ever. Of course, it's probably just rambling but I thought I should say that anyway. Oh, and I wanted to say something to you guys: THANK YOU! I must say, this seems to be (so far, anyway, and I can't remember how Fantasy West exactly went) my most popular story, since I'm only on the ninth chapter and it's already been reviewed over 50 times (I know, most people reviewed more then once, but STILL) and it's got more hits then I can count (I check every so often when I'm bored). I don't take any or even all the credit, though, since it's thanks to you guys that it's popular. So, to those of you who've reviewed constantly and supported me, I'm deeply honored. To those of you who've read this story, even if you didn't review, I'm greatly pleased. What is, after all, an author without her readers? …So. I hope I just don't sound like I'm praising myself, because I'm not. I'm just trying to let you guys know that I appreciate all of you and that I hope this story never disappoints.**

**Sir MIDNIGHT- …Really, I was kidding. XD I really appreciate your support, thank you.**

**Verdanii- XD Thanks! Glad you liked it!**

**Hibeki- Nooooooo, don't hate Squall, or I shall be sad! lol, thanks!**

**Asga- Thanks, glad you think it's "cool". :D**

**Dragon Princess Isis- :D Thanks, I'm happy that everyone's so satisfied with this thing!**

**That-FF13-Girl- …Um… -sweats a little- I actually… kind of like… Rinoa… XD Thanks for reviewing, despite the… erm… interesting opinions on Rinoa your reviews cracked me up.**

**Well… I think that's it. Have a good one!**

_**Grieverwings**_


	10. Another Side, Another Story

_Here it is everyone: the SPECIAL EDITION CHAPTER!!! XD Yeah, I know, you probably think I'm loopy, but let me explain first. This entire story, from 1-9, has been focusing on Seifer, Quistis, and the more recent struggle between Dizz and his former buddy Len. Since this is the big one-oh for this story, I figured I'd do something special! Relax, the story'll go STRAIGHT back to our hero's big day back at school and you can resume your Squall-hating. I'll explain why I did this down at the bottom… okay, I guess that's it! Enjoy!_

**Coming Home: _SPECIAL EDITION CHAPTER_**

Chapter 10: Another Side, Another Story

Zilenard rubbed his eyes, standing stiffly as his mother ran a hairbrush along the top of his head. He was a nervous-looking boy, thin and gangly even for an eleven-year-old with beady grey eyes and a thick black mop that served as hair. It seemed that only his mother could tame the tangled mess, and even though Zilenard hated being treated like a child it was nice to see it hanging past his shoulders in a neat ponytail instead of sticking straight up. A tie hung loosely around his neck, and the boy was dressed smartly with a deep blue suit and polished black dress shoes; he almost looked like a duplicate of the man standing in the other room, smoothing wet, thin hair over a bald spot.

"Ilysa, could you hurry this up?" he asked sharply, straightening his own tie quickly. "I don't want to disappoint our guests." Smiling sweetly, Ilysa swept brown hair out of her eyes and continued to comb her son's hair at the same irritatingly slow pace. Wincing as she pulled the teeth sharply across his scalp, Zilenard shrugged at his father and began stumblingly fixing his tie. "…Hurry up means that you go faster, dear," his father said with a small smile.

"Gilbor, I'm trying to make our son presentable!" she laughed. "How often have you complained that he looked as though he had a bush growing off the top of his head?"

"Far too many times to count, Mother," Zilenard sighed, rolling his eyes to the ceiling as if to see whether or not she was nearly finished. Finally, Ilysa pulled out a black ribbon and laced it through her son's dark hair with a content smile.

"Are you through with attacking our boy's head?" Gilbor asked, inspecting his son with the traces of a light sneer around his mouth. "He looks rather… pompous. Should we really bring him out to greet our fellows like that?" Pouting and taking hold of the boy's shoulder, she flicked his nose with the end of his hair.

"I think he looks dashing. Besides, shouldn't he be at his finest tonight? It is, after all, his twelfth birthday tomorrow!" He glowed with pride, holding his head high and looking rather haughty. People always said, every day he grew to look more and more like his prestigious father; maybe one day he would take over the family business and grow as successful as him. The Maleva family lived in Esthar, one of the more elaborate districts saved especially for the wealthy and well-to-do. As such, Zilenard grew up witnessing every possible shape and form of pampering and the power of money, one he found himself drawn to and wishing that someday he could hold a power like that. Tonight, for example, his father was throwing an esteemed ball-like party in celebration of his son's elder years, leaving behind the days of awkward childhood and stepping into being a young adult.

However, as Zilenard would soon find out, power and wealth brought many enemies, most of which were commoners who felt like the Malevas were drawing money away from the upkeep of the city, right from their very own pockets. Gilbor felt as though the peasants, as he called them, were merely filled with greed and jealousy, lusting for the power, status, and wealth he had. Zilenard wasn't sure of that, but he knew that merely stepping out into the street was a dangerous attempt for him. Thus, he'd been shut up in the same dull house for most of his life, seeing a manner of butlers, maids, and nannies come and go, mixed in with the occasional personal tutor. This manner of life wasn't bothersome in the slightest, on the contrary, it made him feel important and as though he maybe possessed a small fragment of the strength Gilbor had.

"Just look at him." Gilbor puffed up like a balloon, chest swelling with pride at the sight of his son. "We mustn't keep those guests of ours waiting." As the family strode elegantly out of the room, Zilenard was on a personal high. Never had his father looked upon him with so much pride, so much glowing acceptance. As they sidled to the stairs, watching their guests with happy smiles, no one noticed the shouts from outside until the last moment, when blazing torches were thrown into the elegant house and set tablecloths, furniture, curtains, and anything it could reach alight. Things seemed to slow down before the boy's eyes, watching as guests threw their hands up into the air, screamed, and dashed for the door only to find it locked and barricaded. All of a sudden, through the smashed open window came a blinking and beeping device, resting in the middle of the living room floor. Gilbor shouted something, pulling Ilysa and Zilenard to the floor, but it went unnoticed in the young man's ears as his mother threw herself on top of him and clutched him to her chest. Later, screams and shrieks would resonate through Zilenard's ears in his darkest dreams, but he never heard them on the day it happened.

The very next day, he was led away by an elderly woman clutching a leather suitcase and looking sadly back at the ruins that once was the Maleva household. The whole affair was hushed up, it wasn't known that such sturdy, metal buildings could explode and it would be dangerous for word to be issued to the public. Zilenard still wore the suit, hair still up in its ties with everything he could salvage in his arms. Almost everyone was gone, destroyed by the explosion caused by crazed, drunken lowerclassmen. They had yet to be found.

As Zilenard stared sadly at the scrap of his mother's dress clutched tightly within his fist a burning, stinging rage overcame him. What good had turning another year older done if he still wasn't able to protect the ones he loved? His heart plummeted as he watched paramedics continue to drag lifeless bodies out of the debris; even now they seemed to have no end. Smoldering ashes caught his eye, burning dimly as it pathetically asked for something to once more fuel its burn. Watching it, he felt the smoldering ashes within his own heart catching flame, burning with violent anger. When he was older, stronger, wiser, he would repay the men for what they did to him, his parents, and the life he once new. Resolve burning brightly as the fire the night before, he tossed the torn scrap of his mother's dress onto the ashes and turned his head away as it slowly shriveled up and burned. And so, the first metal plate was built around his heart and the first shroud of ice encircled around its very core.

_-.-.-.-_

"You're slipping, my servant," a deathly voice whispered. A large woman sat lazily in a large chair, almost throne-like if it wasn't for the dismal setting it was placed in. Crouched in front of it was Len, having bowed elegantly then sank to his knees in honor of the woman he called "her Highest". "It's been long enough, and your prisoner has yet to divulge anything useful. That and we haven't heard word from our prodigal son yet. Do you have a valid explanation?"

"That and more, my Highest Almighty," he whispered in reverence. "The prisoner is being unnaturally stubborn and adamant about what he knows. The mayor, shrewd and withdrawn as he is, trusts the ex-soldier with more then he's choosing to reveal right now. He will break. I assure you." Lazily blinking, she waved a hand adorned with various ornamental rings for another of her servants to run forward.

"Take this. While he sleeps, uncork it and let the stench waft through his nose. After three nights of this, he'll be weary and weakened, more ready to talk. Don't overdo it, though… your lust for blood will be resolved soon enough." Standing upright and bowing deeply, Len took the bottle from her lesser servant and held it cautiously as he made his way back to the hidden door. His wolfish grin was extremely evident in the pale light filtering through drawn curtains, moonlight making the teeth shine brightly. He would finally have the revenge desired for the seventeen years he spent in exile, watching and waiting from a dirty hovel. At Adel's side, he would raise a fist and crush the city that had accepted and then rejected him, destroy the lives of those who destroyed his.

Still, every so often Len's heart would attempt to tug at him while in the middle of questioning his old friend. He was an old man, unable to do much harm to Adel's plans. Then it would once more be swallowed by the extreme senses of joy as he remembered how badly the man deserved it. Everything that had happened was his fault. Taking great care to cover his nose, Len stepped into the room and approached the elder man's sleeping form, pulling the cork off the bottle and letting it hover beneath his nose. Doubtless it was a sort of poison, meant to weaken his mind and physical being. Len smirked again, waving it back and forth a little bit. Completely, totally, and undeniably all his fault.

_-.-.-.-_

"Smell that?" Dizz asked, grinning happily at his friend. "It's the smell of a new dawn, another day filled with satisfying results. At this rate, we'll overthrow that sorceress any day now." He smiled back, in the process of pulling his hair away from his eyes. After the year-and-a-half they'd spent in Esthar, it began to dwindle past his shoulders again and he couldn't be bothered to cut it. The two had more pressing matters.

Since their unexpected joining of the resistance force so quickly corrupting Esthar, the two became less concerned with the oncoming end of their vacation from the army and more interested in the struggle between visionary power and segregated commoners. For once, he understood how the people from his past felt, though he could never forgive them for taking away the one security he had as a child. Clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder, Dizz's grey eyes shone with concern. "Something got you down, Zilenard?" he asked. Zilenard was passively silent, absent-mindedly scratching his wrist. "Oh, come on, lighten up! Once that sorceress is gone, we'll be revered as heroes! Women will fall at your feet, and you can finally settle down and smile for once." Zilenard shot Dizz a friendly glare and inhaled the morning breeze.

"I note that you said 'you', and not 'we'. Are things finally going somewhere with that warrior princess of yours?" Completely unabashed, Dizz bared his perfect teeth in a smile that made many ladies swoon.

"You could most certainly say that."

"Whatever. It's her fault that we were dragged into this politics thing in the first place." A frown graced Dizz's face, looking relatively strange since he normally had a beaming smile in its place.

"What do you mean? This is the best thing that could've happened. Two friends, once a soldier and his general, fighting side-by-side to bestow independence and liberty upon a striving country? You said yourself that this is where you used to live. Isn't its freedom important to you?" Silent again, Zilenard tugged the edge of his gloves down and turned to look down the strange streets of his city. True, this particular misadventure provided more entertainment then he had really thought possible, and it was nice to have a companion rather than travel the world alone as he'd done for most of his life. Merely looking at the part of town where his home once lay, however, was enough to get his blood boiling and make his soul scream for vengeance.

"…I suppose. Still, it doesn't appeal to me to be executed for going up against the strangest sight this side of the moon. Did you ever take a close look at those photos of her?" Attempting to change the subject using humor, the two quietly walked along the path to where the resistance faction often met. Along the way, as they discussed quietly and avoided the eyes of soldiers, they made a quick stop down an alley with Zilenard at the front to check for oncoming assailants.

"Sophia?" Dizz asked quietly, peering down the alley. Almost instantly, a young woman with a bright smile, one to rival even Dizz, and a full head of red hair clamored out of a small corner and quickly ran to connect herself to his elbow. Long robes in the standard of Esthar leaders hid the old soldier-type pants and shirt underneath, used mainly for spying missions and when she grew tired of wearing her mother's insisted apparel.

"Good. We'd better hurry if we don't want to be-" Zilenard began, but all of a sudden he felt something strange encircle his mouth and dimly heard the muffled screams of Sophia. Mind working furiously, he soon deducted that he, Dizz, and Sophia were close to the innermost workings of the resistance, so that explained their capture. Had soldiers been following them the entire time?

"No! Come back!" Dizz shouted, having wrestled one attacker to the ground and incapacitating him with a bullet to the leg. Two others were attempting to pin him down, but for the moment the man remained free of bonds and holding the upper hand. His distraction with Sophia's capture led to the removal of his gun, lying outside the circle he and the two soldiers formed. To his utter dismay, Zilenard was hit over the head with a large rifle/harpoon combination of a weapon and carried off in the same fashion as the woman. He howled in rage, despair shaking and coursing through him as the men forced him to the ground. "…Zilenard… Sophia…"

_-.-.-.-_

"I don't blame you, you know," Len muttered as he watched Dizz sleep lightly. He was sitting on the table again, back to the wall and looking rather stretched thin. Perhaps he was tired, or maybe (he hoped not) a little of the poison seeped through him as well. "That day led me to the ultimate satisfaction, the wonderful release that meant power and dreams fulfilled. You see, there's some things you don't know about the day I returned that I doubt I'm ever going to tell you. You never understood anyway. Why should I be sympathetic now?" The wolfish smile briefly flew across the shadows and was gone again, thin lips pressed together with strain.

Deep in thought, Len sifted through the various bits of information in his head before resting upon old thoughts on Dizz. The once blonde hair was now a thin white, obviously diminishing though most of it still looked there. He ran one hand along his own hair, less dark then it used to be and showing occasional flecks of grey. From what he could see, Dizz really hadn't changed much since the last he saw him, more or less twenty years ago on that fateful day when his spirit and friendship were broken for eternity. "I still have the wound… the one you gave me. Say what you want about it, I know it wasn't completely an accident. If it was an accident, it wouldn't have hurt as deeply. Then again… I suppose it always hurts to be betrayed by your old friend. Scars are emotional and physical, eh?" Absent-mindedly rubbing his leg, Len winced as one finger fell into the thin, shallow tear in his skin marring his left leg. It stretched from just below the knee to mid-calf, deeper at the top then at the bottom: the mark from a recklessly fired pistol.

As night slowly fled to make way for dawn, Dizz began to stir a little. Taking this as a signal, Len pulled a match from his pocket and re-lit the dying candles to provide some sort of light. The dark room was soon once more casting flickering shadows on the two's faces. "I prefer the dark, as you may remember," he whispered as he let one hand silently pass through the tiny flame, "but with every new light comes a new hope. Not for you, of course. For me. For me and my sorceress: a new hope that one day we will take back what's been stolen. Feel grateful that you have a starring role in our little daytime drama for now. Before too long, it'll be gone… and I'll have my revenge."

_-.-.-.-.-_

"Almasy!" Instructor Britt shouted. "I should think that on your first day back you should be willing to pay more attention!" Seifer sat up quickly, wiping traces of sleep from his eyes and attempting to make sense of the notes he'd scribbled before his untimely doze. As expected, he'd gotten absolutely no sleep the night before, and when he emerged from his new room he found Quistis, or Instructor Trepe as he now had to call her, gone and a small schedule written on a piece of paper. To his glee, he found his gunblade and what other items he possessed sitting by the door, which he placed in his room. Now in the first class of the day, it wasn't twenty minutes into it before he was asleep, fitfully replaying the night before in his head. A few students around him tittered, obviously pleased to see the former head of the Disciplinary Committee being admonished.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, gritting his teeth. It pained him and his pride to say such a thing to such a pig-headed woman, but if he was to do well this time around it would benefit him to actually learn from the classes, even if he already knew most of it. As she continued her tirade on the elemental effects certain magic had on certain beasts, he let his mind wander as he doodled absent-mindedly on his paper. Originally decipherable words and graphs turned to unreadable scribbles, covered in strange runic symbols and pointed, crudely made yet oddly menacing knives.

"Words are," the instructor said as she whipped the paper from him, startling him back into the present, "strangely pointless unless you mean what you say. Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Almasy?" His eyes narrowed, watching her as his fists clenched under the platform of the metal desk. He knew, of course, that the mocking words and furious glares would be increased tenfold after the Sorceress War, but he'd forgotten how angry they made him. "Thus, when you say you're going to pay more attention, if you don't mean what you say your words are quite technically a waste of breath."

"Oh, I disagree, ma'am," he ground out through clenched teeth. The heat of his temper flooded every crevasse of his mind, a rush very familiar to him yet still foreboding a dangerous release. Pain from the night before still ate at his heart, though sheer narcissism kept him from the need to apologize. Square-rimmed glasses perched on the very end of her hawk-like nose, Britt turned to look at him with dangerous narrowed eyes with the worthless notes clutched tightly in her hand.

"Really, Almasy? Then what is your opinion on the matter?" she asked, voice dangerously low as one hand subconsciously flew to flatten the grey bun perched atop her head. The rest of the class was quiet, silent enough for even the slightest intake of breath to sound like a gust of wind. It had been months since any of them witnessed a true Seifer/Instructor showdown, and the thrill of it normally promised a day without any lessons whatsoever. However, there was also the chance that the entire class would be punished, making it a gamble on all behalves.

"I figure," he said calmly, "that if you wish for your words to have some significance, truthful or not, then they're not a waste of breath. Still, if one were to be rambling on about something of no real importance, such as fire magic against the monsters of the North, then I would be forced to consider that a waste of breath." A few girls gasped, boys looked at each other with rueful grins. Britt turned three shades of red, all in rapid succession, before her face became dangerously pale against her graying hair.

"Very well, you little ingrate," she snapped angrily, moving to the intercom with more speed then most would've guessed resided within those plump, stout legs. "I refuse to teach you; your moronic attitude makes it impossible for me to see how an unpleasant, unprecedented, and absolutely unethical child like you made it into Garden." Past the point of apologizing now, he made a swift bow and stepped out of the room, leaning against the doorframe.

"Likewise," he said under his breath, still able to hear steam blowing out of her ears as she punched a button on the intercom.

"Direct me to Instructor Trepe's room," she hissed; there was a few moments silence before the obvious sound of her voice came through the crackling speaker, if not a bit muffled. "Yes, Trepe, it's about him. I refuse to ever even speak with the boy again; his rudeness and demeanor make it quite clear that he… No, Miss Trepe, I will not reconsider. Despite what you and our esteemed headmaster think, it is very plain to me that the boy has yet to change. I'd prefer that. Thank you." Leaning against the wall, Seifer quietly drummed his fingers against the wall and thought about what had just happened. Despite his constant efforts to make some sort of change, his old ways and joys of getting under other's skin was coming back. Was it even possible for him to change?

"I don't believe it; it's your first day back and already you're in trouble. Do you do these things on purpose?" Quistis's voice rang clear in his ears as he turned his head a little, a bored expression plastered on his face. She was wearing her regular Instructor's clothes, glasses looking as though firmly wedged between her eyes.

"Good morning to you as well," he said sarcastically. "Sleep well?"

"There's no time for your ridiculous jokes! You're here to become a SeeD, not to go straight back to agitating your peers and authority! What happened to all that honesty and humbleness I heard when you were asking for another chance?" During her mini-tirade, the two began walking towards her classroom, where undoubtedly there was a room full of students anxiously waiting to listen while Quistis told him off.

"Flew out the window the instant that woman started talking to me."

"Seifer, you have no right to call her 'that woman'! She's your teacher!"

"Former teacher," he corrected with a small smirk. "From what I heard she never wants to see me again, let alone teach me. Or is today Opposite Day?" Growling in anger, she rounded on him and jabbed a finger into his chest.

"Why do you have to be so damned impossible!?" He shrugged, eyes dimly checking the hallway for any other stragglers. Luckily, there was no one else around. "You just purposefully make everything so hard for everyone! Do you take pleasure in that?" Seifer was silent, knowing that once again he'd completely messed yet another aspect of his life up. Here was a young woman (though older than him) who'd been kind enough to stand up for him, if it weren't for her earlier outburst he'd even think that she believed he could change… and what did he do?

Quistis, on the other hand, was even further enraged by his silence and matched it with her own steely quiet. How dare he treat her this way? How could he pretend that nothing had changed? Did he… did he hate everything so? Her thoughts were interrupted by the "whoosh" of a mechanical door, signaling her reappearance in her classroom. Memories of the morning Seifer and Squall received their mirror scars hit her like a ton of bricks before she shook it off and pointed at a seat in the back. "Back to business, everyone," she said, setting herself at the desk in the front. "Now, then, where were we before I left?" One student, rather young-looking, raised her hand timidly after glancing around the room nervously. "Yes?"

"We… we were reviewing history, Instructor Trepe," she whispered. Nodding and giving the girl a brief smile, she pulled a few papers closer and skimmed one or two before finding their place.

"Of course, thank you. Now, it's common knowledge that the Sorceress Hyne is either the first or one of the first sorceresses to appear on our planet. However, in most of the published works or even within historian reports nothing is ever mentioned of her knight." Seifer very quickly grew uncomfortable. He would've been willing to bet his precious Hyperion that someone somewhere was enjoying getting every sort of rise possible out of Seifer all in one day. "Knights didn't actually come into play in recorded history until nearly three hundred years ago, where one by the name of 'Mriazi' served a particular sorceress known only as 'The Fallen'. Quite obviously, this knight didn't do his duty as expected which led his sorceress to ruin." This was, Seifer thought, a class for newbies, students more recently admitted into Garden. To be honest, he hadn't remembered ever having to take this class and wondered if it was a new addition, or requirement.

"Of course," Quistis continued, "There is a more recent example that many of you will understand. Our other example is Adel, the previous ruler of Esthar for some time. Adel either never had a knight, or hers failed as well. Either way, she spiraled into insanity, which led to the eventual destruction of her reign." As Quistis continued, Seifer felt a small tug in the very base of his mind, twitching and stinging. Rubbing the back of his neck, he felt the twinge grow stronger and nearly cried out in pain, feeling as though a knife was driving into the back of his head. Once Quistis switched topics, however, the nagging feeling went away. Watching him from the corner of her eye, Quistis shook her head and wondered. Even if it had only been a short time, something in the deep caverns of her mind began to pick at her and whisper that bringing him back had been a stupid choice, a mistake. She recalled the night before, his angry outburst with good cause and the horrible feeling of regret she'd woken up with that morning. Maybe it... was a mistake. Stumbling over her words, she quickly banished the thoughts and dedicated herself to speaking. Despite the distraction, she noticed the guilty look in Seifer's eyes as she spoke of sorceresses and the undying loyalty of their ever-faithful knights.

_-.-.-.-_

Panting heavily, Seifer kicked open the door to his room and threw his stack of books, papers and miscellaneous items onto the bed. Seifer himself followed, precariously dangling off the edge to avoid destroying his homework. "What a day," he muttered. Things were much harder when one actually paid attention. Even so, he suspected that the instructors piled on because of who he was. "I'm probably just being paranoid," he said to himself. Shrugging, he sat up with a grunt and rolled to his feet. Quistis had yet to return; doubtless she was somewhere grading papers or something boring like that. With a grin, he shouldered his gunblade and, telling himself he'd do the homework later, quietly stepped out of the mini-apartment and walked briskly down the hallway.

It had been a long time since he'd visited the training center. Unless they found new monsters recently, he figured that a few easy battles would clear his head. As his footsteps echoed along the empty hallways, he took note of the lack of Garden staff that he'd been so accustomed to seeing. Things really had changed since the last time he'd come here…

"GREETINGS."

"Hey, how's it going, you know?" Jumping lightly, Seifer turned to see Raijin and Fujin, looking rather happy. Even so, Fujin's visible eye shone with concern. "We've been hearing stuff about you, you know?"

"RUMORS," she added quietly.

"All over the school. Sounds like we have some enemies, you know." Seifer chuckled, pulling Hyperion off his shoulder and leaning on it.

"You mean me. As far as I can tell, you two are off the hook… consider yourselves lucky. Look, I'm going to the training center before Instructor Ice shows up."

"Then we'll come too, you know!" Raijin said, moving to stand at Seifer's side. He shook his head, turning away and shouldering his gunblade again.

"I'd rather be alone. I appreciate your concern, but still. Hey, let's try meeting for lunch tomorrow in the cafeteria. We can catch up on our first days back," he added with a small smirk. "Twelve thirty, okay? See you." With that, he continued on his way to the training center, leaving his dearest friends to stare after him sadly.

"SEIFER…" Fujin muttered. Raijin patted her shoulder and gently guided her in the direction of the cafeteria. Both of them glanced backwards from time to time, watching his figure disappear rapidly. "WORRIED."

"Yeah, me too. He's been real quiet, you know? Isn't like him. Do you think something's wrong?" She shrugged, boots clicking as they neared the cafeteria.

"QUISTIS?" Raijin started, raising an eyebrow at her.

"You think she has something to do with it? I dunno, Fuj, last I saw of it they seemed to be getting along fine, you know?" Planting one hand firmly on her hip, she shook her head and pursed her lips.

"INSTRUCTOR," she said obstinately.

"Oh, please, how does that count? Since when has Seifer called her by her real name, you know? Proves nothing, you know." This rather one-sided argument continued as the two inhaled the familiar aroma of Garden's hot dogs and took their place at the back of the line. Even though Raijin continued to make his point, all the while deeply inhaling through his nose, Fujin's mind was somewhere else entirely. "And he still smells the same, you know, not to mention that they-" he babbled.

"QUIET!" she snapped, cuffing his arm. "LOOK." There, at the far side of the cafeteria, sat Quistis herself. She was silently taking minute bites from her food, as if she wasn't really focused on the task. "SPEAK," Fujin implored, unwilling to miss this golden opportunity to talk with Quistis.

"In a minute, y'know? I'm starving," Raijin muttered. Shooting him an angry look, she kicked his heel swiftly and made her way to where the instructor was while he jumped up and down, moaning in pain. With a clear of her throat, Quistis paused with the fork halfway to her mouth and, after a moment, smiled brightly and set the implement down.

"Evening, Fujin. Need something?" Shaking her head, she smiled a little back and briefly pondered how to fit a day's worth of questions into one of her trademark statements.

"QUESTION," she decided.

"About today's lesson? You seemed to understand it before, should I try explaining it again?" Quistis asked, a concerned tone in her voice. Ah, the pitfalls of attempting to convey yourself in one-word sentences.

"NO. SOMETHING ELSE."

"Hey, look, Fuu, I got one, you know?" Raijin practically galloped over. However, he skidded to a stop and shamefully lowered his head when he took a good look at the table. "…'Lo, Instructor Trepe," he mumbled. Laughing a little, she nodded. Fujin poked him in the arm a few times, grateful to have her translator around.

"ASK."

"Oh, yeah. Instructor, do you know why Seifer's been acting so funny, y'know?" She immediately blanched, to several unhidden love struck sights. Undoubtedly a few Trepies were hanging around. "…Hey… you all right?" he asked, cocking his head. She nodded quickly, attempting to regain face.

"We… I… uh… We both shouted a little last night. He's probably still a little sore at me." Shaking her head again, Fujin looked out at the other occupants of the room. Guessing her thoughts, Quistis cleared away the rest of her half-eaten dinner and followed Seifer's "posse" into the hallway.

"RAGNAROK."

"Yeah, Seifer hasn't been the same since we got off that ship, ya know?" Positively white as a ghost by now, Quistis nervously laced her fingers together. "Really, are you feeling well, you know?"

"O-of course. I… it's probably just a passing ailment."

"You know," Raijin continued, "he's been rather strange ever since we found your scrapbook at the orphanage. He practically threw every last cent of our Gil out on train tickets, rental cars, inns, all kinds of stuff. He even paid some brat for three chocobos, two thousand Gil, you know! Each!"

"OBSESSED," Fujin shrugged. Quistis gaped, open-mouthed, before waving her hands in a frenzy for silence.

"Hold on a second- how long did it take for him to bring it back?"

"Eh, about a week, maybe two or three, you know?" Blinking back surprise, she turned toward the dormitory and, without a single word to Raijin or Fujin, and took off running.

"HEY! WAIT!"

"…Maybe I shouldn't have told her," Raijin sheepishly stuttered, scratching the back of his neck. You think she was angry?"

"NO. SURPRISED." The two nodded, nonverbally asking even more questions between themselves. What made Quistis leave like that? What could possibly be bothering Seifer? More importantly… could anyone tell them what was going on?

**MOOOWAHAHAHAHHAHA –hack cough- Hello, everyone!!! Okay, I'm going to skip the sentimental crap (XD) and explain why I went off on the angsty Len-ness. I was writing and stuff, and all of a sudden a new plot idea smacked me one in the face. So, I started to write about it… and then I realized that I would need to know more about Len, Dizz, and Adel, which I didn't. So, I spent about a week writing back-story for the three of them and my new plot idea and now I'm good to go. But I figured… why keep all the back-story for myself? I picked out bits and tidbits to show more about Dizz and stuff, so… yeah. And I've been neglecting poor Rai and Fuu, so that's why I called this the "Special Edition" chapter since it only focuses on Seifer and Quisty a little.**

**Anyway… XD Reviews and then I'm gonna get started on the next chapter, m'kay?**

**Verdanii- And that makes you laugh evilly why? XD Thank you; I suppose she is… a little. –shifty eyes-**

**Hibeki- XD It will, I promise. And thank you!**

**Dragon Princess Isis- Yes, I'm a genius, aren't I? –grins- Thanks.**

**Sir MIDNIGHT- …Oh. XD Sarcasm's wasted on type, isn't it? Hope this was soon, and thanks very much.**

**Kitsu- Yeah… let's start climbing! Thanks.**

**BY THE WAY!!! Lotsa fluff in the next chapter! YAY!**

**Have a very good day, mah friends!**

_**Grieverwings**_


	11. From the Depths

_My friends… it is time… BUM-BUM-BUM!!!! XD I've always liked the number eleven… no idea why, really. Maybe it has something to do with… uh… never mind, I don't know. I wrote the majority (okay, all) of this during school because I'm a bad seed and the library's open during lunch. I love that. XD They have little desks in the back for privacy so I sit down, pull up a dictionary and write my effing brains out… but I digress. I actually really like how I wrote this, so I'm probably only going to change around a few sentences and then fix a few grammatical errors before posting it. Yay another chapter! Okay. The end. Get reading._

**Coming Home**

Chapter 11: From the Depths

"Seifer!" Quistis shouted, boots clicking as she slowly made her way through the training center. The faux forest floor muffled her steps, and her voice bounced off the walls. "Seifer, are you in here?" Hissing noises issued from the inner circle, probably a Grat or two awaiting a fresh meal. A spasmodic thwack and dull thuds barely reached her ears, causing her to dash around the corner to locate the sound. To her surprise, a large T-Rexaur stood in front of a rather disheveled Seifer, obviously on its last legs. Blood steadily dripped to the ground from both parties, green mixing with crimson. The great monster roared loudly, to Quistis's horror she caught a glimpse of blood-stained teeth.

Finally, Seifer growled and pointed his blade at the beast's head. Using the trigger, he shot it between the eyes and smirked as it fell with a loud crash. He fell to his knees soon after, dropping Hyperion and clutching his shoulder. "Seifer!" she cried, breaking out of her revere and dashing to his side. She quickly dropped beside him, looking at him with fear in her eyes. Not looking at her, but feeling her presence, he smirked and pulled off his gloves to avoid getting more blood on them as he held his shoulder. Pity… they were new gloves, too. "How did…" she trailed off, staring in horror.

"Bastard snuck up on me… got me with its teeth." He grunted, obviously from pain, before laughing hollowly. It was a haunting song, without mirth and without feeling. "I'm always the one to get knocked about." Moving to stand up, he snorted as Quistis pushed him back down. "Instructor…"

"Don't move," she said, scooting closer and removing her own gloves. Seifer looked down at her hands, quietly comparing their slender build with his own rough ones. "I… I've got to pull the cloth aside," she whispered. "Please don't move." Watching as she slowly reached for his arm, he clenched his teeth together and turned his head from the sight, feeling nauseous enough already. Her thin, long fingers gently brushed the crimson-stained fabric from his shoulder, a few loose strips falling to the ground. With the utmost care, she pulled several leftover strands away and, leaving most of his shoulder bare, began to take her glove and turn it inside-out.

"Where did you learn to do all this?" he asked as she folded the glove into a rectangle.

"You'll take a first-aid class that explains it later in the year, I suppose." Pressing the pad to his shoulder, she used her free hand to push the leftover gloves in her pocket. It was strange, to be helping Seifer when she mostly remembered him being the source of bruises and cuts, not the victims of them.

"…You can let go now, Instructor," he muttered, pulling her out of her thoughts. Flushing brightly, she made to pull her hand away and felt the back of it collide with his palm. He'd been holding the glove and she hadn't even noticed. Now they were both bright red, though Seifer furiously tried to hide it. Her hands were almost childlike compared to his... it was… well, she didn't know what it was.

"I… er… we had better get you to Dr. Kadowaki before it gets too bad. Need any help?" she stammered, pulling her hand away as though she'd been burned.

"My shoulder hurts, not my leg," he responded. Groaning, he hauled-to and shook himself, eyeing the blood spattered on the floor. "What a waste of energy." He kicked the monster's head angrily before turning back to Quistis with a trademark grin. "Shall we?"

"Seifer," she said sometime later as they exited the center. "I'm a little curious."

"Ask away, then."

"Have you… Did I… Are you feeling all right recently? Raijin and Fujin noticed that you've been rather down in the dumps. I can't help but feel that… well, what I said really upset you." Seifer was quiet for a while, knuckles of the hand clutching the glove white.

"You're not to blame, Quisty. Don't worry about it."

"But… I really am sorry. I had no right to say anything like that to you." Rolling his eyes, he smiled a little and shrugged one shoulder.

"I told you not to worry about it." However, I deeply appreciate your concern." Jokingly making a half-bow, he paused near the entrance to the dormitories and grabbed Quistis with his free arm, though he winced in pain as his shoulder burned. "Don't go to so much trouble for me. I doubt you still want it, but I'll get better bandages from Kadowaki." Pressing the glove into a strip of cloth hanging from his shoulder and ripping the piece, he made a pouch for the glove and pushed it into her hands. "…Thank you, Quistis. It… it means a lot… it's nice to know… oh, hell, whatever!" Quistis smiled a little as Seifer stormed away, muttering to himself angrily. It wasn't exactly what she'd sought him out for, but… maybe things were finally going to get better.

_-.-.-.-.-_

"Seifer!" Raijin said happily, thumping his friend on the back. He made a face, wincing and gingerly rubbing his shoulder, but his smile was genuine. "How's it going, you know?"

"Painfully. Not bad, though. You two?"

"CAKEWALK." They sat next to him at the table, carefully inspecting him for any of the weariness shown in his face the day before. To their surprise, there wasn't. He quite simply looked happy, from the smile on his face to the sparkling glint in his eyes. "SHOULDER?"

"Eh, it's fine. Stings a bit, but it'll be all healed up by next week." They shared a smile; for that while it felt like things were back to normal. Before the hatred and turmoil, before the anger and despair, before everyone was forced to take shattered remains of previous lives and put them back together with scotch tape. However, as was Seifer's lot in life, it was ruined very quickly.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the drop-out. Get tired of massacring innocent people?" A boy stood near the entrance of the cafeteria, alone. His face was dark and angry, and etched with hatred. "If you ask me, they should've chucked you in jail the instant you walked in."

"I've been before. Didn't feel like hanging around," Seifer coolly replied. "The hell are you?"

"It doesn't matter!" Contrary to his stoic demeanor, he was short and looked to be maybe somewhere between eleven and fourteen… a fledgling in Seifer's opinion. "The point is, my brother died when you and your little buddies from Galbadia attacked. I plan on taking revenge for him." Raijin made to stand, but Fujin pulled him back down gently.

"It's his fight, Rai," she muttered. Raijin, of course, looked furious but remained seated.

"Your little friends," the boy teased, "are right. I have no quarrel with them."

"…A fancy vocabulary and a swelled head at that. My knees quake from fear," Seifer mocked, rolling his eyes.

"You gave Commander Leonhart that scar, right? He did the same to you, didn't he?" Shrugging, he draped an arm against the back of his chair and shrugged a little.

"Your point is?" he asked. Unseen to those watching the rather one-sided battle of nerves, Squall himself stepped out of the shadows and leaned against the wall, a steely look in his eyes. He knew that, if anything, this would show whether or not Seifer was truly as trustworthy as Quistis claimed. Lucky that he'd decided to drop by for a quick lunch before he went back to Cid's office.

"It's true that you're an expert swordsman, but if that emotionally challenged wimp could beat you then so can I! Of course, it's obvious who'll win. But I'm feeling generous, so I might just make you feel like you're not too much of a failure."

"Who is this kook, you know?" Raijin asked, snorting at the sheer absurdity of the boy's statement.

"He's angry. I did something that hurt him, and he wants revenge. Nothing out of the ordinary for me anymore." Seifer raised his voice so the boy could hear him too. In fact, his voice echoed around the silent room with unseen force. "Still, he's got to really mean it. Otherwise he'll fall flat on his ass and fail." Barely a second later, Seifer's chair lay abandoned and he was two feet from the boy, advancing one slow step at a time. The younger one responded with one slow step backwards that matched. "You listen, brat. Just wanting something ain't enough. If you want to beat me… you'll need to toughen up. Little kids like you don't have a chance."

"I'm not-… You can't-!..." Realizing that the tables had turned and Seifer held the trump card, he continued to try and sputter out some sort of sarcastic remark, but he was cut off by the figure towering over him and looking thoughtfully out into the distance.

"You talk big… but you need a little more to it. For now, you'll just have to accept my sincerest apologies." With that, he calmly went back to his seat and almost- not quite- smiled at his comrades.

Flustered, the boy continued to sputter before he charged a blizzard spell. The cafeteria woman shouted "Now, really!" while others started to whisper furtively and ogle the seemingly deranged lad with pity, humor, and, maddeningly enough, discredit. When Seifer didn't turn around from the sound of magic charging, the boy threw up his arms in childish frustration and stormed away, in the process showering the floor with miniscule ice crystals.

"…That was pretty silly, you know?" Raijin snorted.

"It's just a prelude to what's gonna happen next. Eventually, someone will show up who I won't be able to just piss off and make him run away. Still, no reason to worry about it, I guess." Smiling again, Seifer noted that his friends looked rather confused by his attitude change. Even so, he'd probably never felt more happy in his life. Maybe it had something to do with the letter he'd penned to Dizz the night before. Ah, well… it didn't matter now.

Frowning slightly, Squall slinked back the way he came. His fingers nervously traced the outline of his necklace, Griever, as he pondered Seifer's obvious change. The Seifer he knew would have knocked the kid flat in a second… perhaps Quistis was telling the truth? His mind couldn't wrap around it. Nevertheless, it seemed as though he could relax his wary gaze on the ex-knight… for now.

_-.-.-.-_

"Well, Dizzy-boy, look here. Hyne preserve whoever came up with this enhanced mailing system, eh?" Waving a few sheets of paper in his face, Len pulled them to his own face and stared blearily. Though he'd never admit it, his eyesight hadn't been so good as of late. "Read it aloud, Lugiro. Don't skip anything," he said, shoving the papers into his old friend's lap.

"What happened to our first-name basis?" Dizz muttered, squinting through candlelight at the letter. "Written three days ago, mailed two…" he muttered to himself. Seeing Len's foot began to tap impatiently, he wasted no further time and began to read.

_Dizz-_

_I always wondered why you gave me your address. To be honest, I wasn't going to use it. Now… I think I'm glad you did._

_By now, I'm guessing you know who I really am. If I don't get a letter back, I'll understand. You wouldn't be the first person to hate me. Even I hate me sometimes. So… er… since I can safely assume that you'll chuck this the first chance you get, I'll tell you something everyone else in the world would be shocked to hear._

_I feel happy. Truly happy. It's almost shocking. There I was, with no one in the world who cared about me. Everyone despised me, and everyone wanted me to fail. Suddenly, out of the blue come three people. My friends, Raijin and Fujin. You saw them, I think. Then there's my… well.. remember the girl in the scrapbook? I'm starting to think that she cares about me, too. It's funny… the ache in my bones and the weight on my shoulder seems to have gone a little. If this is what joy feels like, I hope that I feel like this for a long time._

…_There. Now you know. It's embarrassing to put things like this on paper, but no one's really going to read this anyway, right? …Maybe I should try keeping a journal instead of venting all this junk into a letter. Oh well._

_-Seifer_

Dizz's heart lurched as he finished, feeling drawn to the teenager in a way he couldn't understand. Sympathy, perhaps? Len snorted, taking the papers back from his old friend. "He's weak. He shouldn't need anyone… but we can fix that. The easiest ways to get to him will be through his little girlfriend, his friends, and you, Dizz. In an hour, you'll dictate your stirring return letter and we'll mail it off. Wouldn't want to keep our junior knight waiting, eh?" Shooting Dizz another one of his wolfish smiles, Len patted his shoulder. The contact made Dizz shiver. "You're doing well, old friend. I'm sure Adel will be pleased." With that shiver ran a flood of anger, raging through Dizz with the force of being hit by a train.

"That sorry excuse for a female doesn't stand a chance! He's at a school with the top military force in the world, not to mention the very people who defeated your beloved sorceress last time!" Len chuckled, wagging a finger.

"Now, now, we haven't forgotten the SeeDs. Adel's going to use Almasy to exact her perfect revenge. Her Highest thinks of everything. So be good while I'm gone, all right? I need to get this to the research department of our mini-empire." With that, he slammed a door behind him without giving Dizz a chance to locate it and the ominous sound of a lock being set echoed. Dizz was indeed alone. However, Len's nonchalant attitude about his solitary confinement was suspicious. If anything, the older man's military days taught him to be aware of all his surroundings, and expect both the unexpected and the expected.

"…A camera…" the older man muttered. Of course. They must have been watching him the entire time. To deduce further, there must have been a microphone somewhere as well to record their voices. Quickly wiping the surprise from his face, he studied what he could see of his setting while thinking about how to notify Seifer without alerting his old friend's suspicion. Maybe he could use a code from one of those long-memorized books his old lunatic of a sergeant gave him. He noticed a small dent in the darkness and within several minute, he had the angle of the camera, located exactly where it would be hardest for the microphone to pick up his voice, and perfectly determined every blind spot. Dizz grinned. A piece of cake. Now all he had to do was figure out how to escape… suddenly, it felt like that piece of cake got stuck in his throat.

_-.-.-.-_

_Seifer Almasy (yeah, I know who you are)-_

_A good soldier always knows when something's bothering a comrade, eh? Doubtless, it was this whole loneliness thing that was getting you down last I saw you. Even so, it's good to hear that you're feeling better about the whole thing._

_Lately, things have been rather quiet. It's always the same around here, though. Sure, it can get boring, but I'm not complaining… until I read this. When I read this letter, it almost made me jealous of how exciting a time you must be having. After you've gotten used to the whole thing again, you'll have to tell me more about it._

_The fish have started heading for warmer waters… fall's coming in fast. 'Course, I'm a fisherman by trade so those sort of things stand out to me and tell me when the seasons are changing. Hey, banter aside, I want you to know something. If you ever need anything, an ear, a hand, whatever- I'm here for you. Never had anyone to tell this before, but keep your nose clean, kid. Good luck to you._

_-Dizz Lugiro_

Seifer stared down at the letter in slight confusion. He'd been surprised to get a reply in the first place, but it surprised him more to read it. The old man he'd met seemed to jump from topic to topic without any sort of order or relevance. Maybe it had something to do with being old.

Now that he looked closer, there seemed to be some sort of pattern. After a few minutes of studying the offensive material, his eyes were drawn back to the beginning of the letter. Something was there… he knew it.

"Homework?" he heard. Jumping a little, he turned to his left to see Quistis hovering near his shoulder. He pushed the letter under a pile of old notes quickly, taking her aback.

"No, something else. You look… er… cheerful." This short conversation was very quickly getting ridiculous. Seifer had never told anyone they looked cheerful… though, frankly, he'd never had anyone besides Raijin and Fujin to say it to. He didn't know about Raijin, but Fujin and cheerfulness were polar opposites. Quistis raised an eyebrow.

"I… suppose." This was just as awkward for her. She'd never been told that she looked cheerful… either she was busy being depressed or no one had noticed. There was a long pause in which the two looked anywhere but each other. _Cheerful!_ Seifer thought, mentally kicking himself. _What kind of lame-ass comment was that!? _"Is… there anything you need help with? If not, I'll just… uh… leave you alone." Shaking his head, Seifer gathered up the mess of papers and shoved them into a book bag he'd bought the other day.

"I'm done. It's fine. So… I'm going to get something to eat," he tried, looking as though it pained him to come up with such lame conversation starters. Even so, Quistis looked relieved and stepped back to let him stand and kick his bag under the table.

"I'll walk there with you. I'm pretty hungry myself." As they left the room together, Seifer stole a last glance at the bag containing his letter. He probably imagined it… there must not have been anything wrong with the letter. Little did he know, he was making a mistake to ignore it. A very dangerous, deadly mistake.

**PARAGRAPH 35: I totally agree, Raijin! Finally, one of my pawns… er… characters has come to realize how ridiculous it was to write that entire scene and then pause to think "…wow… that made no sense at all…"!!!**

**Yes, I know, it was rather short. Not horribly short, of course, but sort of short. XD I used a lot of '…'s in this, too. Ooh, Seifer and Quistis are getting AWK-WARD around each other! I sense… more fluff!!! Anyway, yes, I know that scene with the kid was completely idiotic. I wanted to show how much Seifer's changed, like how Squall noticed it… but now I have to agree with Raijin whole-heartedly. Heh. –squeals over opening portion- I love writing fluff!! YAAAY! I should do it more often. –cough hack nudge- And I DARE some of you to figure out what the code is. It's rather simple, but still well-hidden, I think. M'waha.**

**I'm still using a lot of '…'s. GEEZE. Anyway, I have to say something people. I've been on this website for a long time and I like to pretend- er, think- that I've matured somewhat. So, I'm not going to beg, or threaten that I won't post the next chapter (cuz I will no matter what!!) or even throw a fit. I'm merely going to say: two reviews? Rather pathetic for the amount of people I KNOW read it. I love hearing what my readers have to say since if I'm ever going to be an author someday I have to know what I can improve on. Kudos to the ones who did review, by the way. I appreciate it. So please, tell me what you think! I need to improve on some stuff and none of my friends are honest enough to tell me when it really sucks. I mean… really. Reviews and I'm off to go write something about Vincent Valentine to stave off my boredness… yay Vincent!**

**Sir MIDNIGHT- Heh. Yeah, really. Meh, they need an accurate text-to-voice thing that actually conveys emotion and doesn't pronounce things wrong… or something. Thanks for the constant support!**

**Dragon Princess Isis- :D Thanks!!**

**Phil? (…Please don't ask…)**

_**Grieverwings**_


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